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Cell phone spying/tracking help!!!

Started by persephone325, January 02, 2016, 01:35:45 PM

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persephone325

I'm asking on behalf of my father.

His ex has an app that is tracking who he calls, or who calls him. Is there something he can do? Maybe a counter-acting app he can get? I did see that some people on the internet have asked on Yahoo Answers, and people have told them to do a factory reset. But I don't know if my dad would be able to do that.

Also, I read that it's illegal to do something like that. Is that true? Is it considered stalking? Harassment? Would it do any good to file a complaint with the police?

He's said he's not sure he wants to do that because it might make him look like the bad guy. But, seriously. This IS NOT OK. She can't keep thinking that she can do this and not suffer consequences.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
This doesn't have to end in a fight, Buck.
It always ends in a fight.
You pulled me from the river. Why?
I don't know.
"Don't dwell on those who hold you down. Instead, cherish those who helped you up."

Beguile's Mistress

I would suggest he contact the service provider he uses and ask their advice.  He may need to get a new SIM card or something like that.  Also, if there is the least likelihood this could become or is malicious behavior he should contact the police and ask their advice.  You can never tell how some people with turn out and establishing the fact she is doing things like this could be a protection for him down the road.

Oniya

#2
Considering that she is an ex, I would consider it stalking and worthy of at least asking the police about, even if he chooses not to file a report at this time.  I'd even be wary if she was still a partner, but under the 'controlling' heading (which is frequently a lead-in to abuse of some sort).  About the only time I'd see it as something excusable would be if it was a parent keeping tabs on a minor child.

EDIT:  With a little google-work, I found that the only way she would be able to do this would be to have installed something on his actual phone.  She may have tricked him into downloading something, claiming it was a picture or such-like.  He may be able to take the phone to where-ever he bought it and have them clear off any non-factory apps.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

persephone325

He actually did go to the cell phone store today, and they didn't know what to do to help him. So it was kind of a waste of time.

And, she was doing this when they were together. She even showed him her phone and said "Look. Why did you call this one at this time and the call lasted this long?"
This doesn't have to end in a fight, Buck.
It always ends in a fight.
You pulled me from the river. Why?
I don't know.
"Don't dwell on those who hold you down. Instead, cherish those who helped you up."

Oniya

Bah.  Edited while you were posting.  There has to be an app that got installed onto his phone that is transmitting info to her.  There's no other way (without expensive and illegal equipment) for her to get that information.  A factory reset or even having the physical phone replaced (transfer contacts by pen-and-paper, do not transfer photos to the new phone) would eliminate the presence of the app.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

persephone325

#5
Quote from: Oniya on January 02, 2016, 02:03:27 PM
Bah.  Edited while you were posting.  There has to be an app that got installed onto his phone that is transmitting info to her.  There's no other way (without expensive and illegal equipment) for her to get that information.  A factory reset or even having the physical phone replaced (transfer contacts by pen-and-paper, do not transfer photos to the new phone) would eliminate the presence of the app.

Oh! Sorry about that. lol

I'll let him know right away!

EDIT: Dad can't remember anything she sent him and if he had to download anything or not. So I think the best thing is for him to do a factory reset, I guess. This is quite frustrating. :-(
This doesn't have to end in a fight, Buck.
It always ends in a fight.
You pulled me from the river. Why?
I don't know.
"Don't dwell on those who hold you down. Instead, cherish those who helped you up."

Oniya

The sites I found gave *wince* 'tips' on how to get hold of your SO's phone in order to install the app yourself, so it's possible that she did it herself.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

AmberStarfire

#7
Maybe connect up your phone to a computer with a USB cable and use an antivirus to scan your phone. Usually software like that should register as malware, and if so, you might be able to get it off there that way. You might also be able to see all of the apps running at a given time and pinpoint it that way.

Are you sure she's not logging into his phone provider's web site with his details? She'd be able to see the details of his calls that way, though likely not the received ones.


Beguile's Mistress

Quote from: persephone325 on January 02, 2016, 02:06:40 PM
Oh! Sorry about that. lol

I'll let him know right away!

EDIT: Dad can't remember anything she sent him and if he had to download anything or not. So I think the best thing is for him to do a factory reset, I guess. This is quite frustrating. :-(
There is always the possibility she got her hands on his phone without his knowledge and downloaded the app herself.  I'd just replace the phone in this case.

persephone325

My dad got a new phone around November. But he did say that she somehow got the pattern code to access his old phone when he was in the shower one time. It's possible that when all his stuff was transferred to the new phone that (if she did install this app) it got transferred over as well?
This doesn't have to end in a fight, Buck.
It always ends in a fight.
You pulled me from the river. Why?
I don't know.
"Don't dwell on those who hold you down. Instead, cherish those who helped you up."

Oniya

If she had hands-on access to his phone, she could have downloaded it right then.  If he transferred all data (including apps) to his new phone, then it probably came along for the ride.  That's why I suggested the pen-and-paper method of transferring contacts.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

Beguile's Mistress

If his plan won't allow for a new phone or the replacement cost is prohibitive he might be able to get a new SIM card.  The people at his phone store should be able to help and if they can't there may be help online.  He could even look into changing his plan to another carrier as an added precaution.

persephone325

Would pictures he's taken HIMSELF be OK to save and re-download after a factory reset?
This doesn't have to end in a fight, Buck.
It always ends in a fight.
You pulled me from the river. Why?
I don't know.
"Don't dwell on those who hold you down. Instead, cherish those who helped you up."

Oniya

I would recommend just saving them to his computer and not transferring them to the new/reset phone.  I don't know 100% how the spy apps work and wouldn't want to take a chance on them.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

AmberStarfire

Also if he has a login for his phone provider, I'd suggest he changes it (in case it's some above board app that lets people access their phone info, and she's managed to get a hold of it and set it up for use with his phone).




Thesunmaid

http://visihow.com/On_google_play_a_app_that_let_you_look_at_someone_else_text_messages_without_being_by_their_phone
http://www.gizmoquip.com/smslog/

This is what I found..my husbands co worker had mentioned this in the past apparently his wife thought he was cheating on her. Turns out he really was at work all the time...go figure. *rolls my eyes*

But this is the program that she used apparently. He got a whole new phone...but he also is in the middle of a divorce as well...so I did not want to ask too much about it.
Some mornings its just not worth chewing through the leather straps.
Current Status for posts: working on them Current Status for RP:Tentatively looking

ImaginedScenes

#16
Phones are just computers with a different OS these days, but pictures and videos can't carry files that would track and report phone calls to someone else's phone. Some sort of app has been installed, or she is getting information from his phone provider company. Make sure she isn't on his provider account and the company doesn't allow her to get his information. Google around for apps that serve the specific purpose of logging call details and then Google for how to remove those apps. A factory reset is overkill.

Edit: Also be aware of apps that use publicly available info to track you. It's better to not use geolocation/social "check in" features if you don't want to be found. marketwatch.com/story/5-apps-for-spying-on-your-spouse-2014-03-10

Outlier

In addition to avoiding the geolocation/social "check in" I'd suggest for general safety not to save passwords or other login information on his phone in the future. Change privacy settings and be aware of linking social media apps together. Hope your father is okay  :(