Has Your Phone Been Hacked?

If you’ve ever wondered whether your phone has been hacked then here are seven signs to look out for:

Strange behavior

Whether it’s outgoing calls or texts you didn’t send, apps you didn’t download or purchases you didn’t make, be on the lookout for strange activity on your phone.

Indeed, some malware likes to use your phone to make premium-rate calls. The proceeds will end up lining the criminal’s pocket while you’re landed with a nasty surprise on your phone bill.

Slow performance

We should be used to great performance from modern high tech gadgets. But as devices become older then they can start to slow down. However, this isn’t always down to age.

Malware and other hacking tools working in the background use more resources and battery power and can reduce performance significantly.

They can even make your device become hotter than usual. So, if you find your phone freezing or apps repeatedly crashing or not behaving as they should, then there could be something unpleasant on your phone.

Shortened battery life

Just as with performance, battery life can get worse with age. A smartphone that’s been infected with malware can end up with a significantly reduced battery life.

This is because of the power demands it makes on your phone while scanning your device and transmitting the information back to its master.

Mysterious data usage

Keeping an eye on your data use at the end of each month is a good way to keep your phone security under close observation.

Watch out for spikes in usage without any changes on your part. Malicious programmes might be eating-up your data allowance in the background as they record your activity.

Unexpected pop-ups

Pop-ups are a common unwanted consequence of modern phone use. However, if you notice lots of pop-ups appearing on your screen it could indicate you’ve been infected with adware.

Adware is used by hackers to force your device to view specific web pages in order to drive their revenue through clicks. Even if you aren’t infected with adware the pop-ups can easily be exercises in phishing.

They’ll repeatedly try to trick you into providing them with personal information or downloading yet more malware.

Unusual account activity

There are many ways for hackers to gain access to your accounts. If they access your phone then they could get access to all your accounts; from social media to lifestyle or even email.

If this has happened, you’ll soon start to see unusual activity. Resetting passwords, emails being sent or read without your knowledge or mysterious new account sign-ups are all warning lights you’ve been hacked.

This particular form of hacking is popular with identity fraudsters who can use vulnerable  accounts to set up other accounts, and even credit cards!

Even without your phone however a hacked iCloud or Google account will give them access to a vast amount of information backed up from your phone.

Personal photos and videos, contacts, current location, messages, call logs and, in the case of the iCloud Keychain, saved passwords.

Online criminals have developed a particularly nasty line in digital hostage taking – stealing precious photos and other data and forcing victims to pay a hefty ransom in order to get them back.

As an additional concern, a hacked Google account means a vulnerable Gmail account, the primary email for many.

Having access to such a primary email can soon lead to hacking of all the accounts that email is linked to – from your SnapChat account to your mobile phone account, preparing the way for a depth of identity theft that’ll cause untold harm to your life and credit.

Tell-tale camera issues

Your phone’s camera isn’t just great for videoing your cat’s latest viral shenanigans or recording what you had for lunch – it’s also a popular target for hackers, particularly with the increasing popularity of video calling amongst phone users.

Signs that someone else is using it remotely includes the appearance of photos and videos in your gallery you have no recollection of taking.

Always be on the look-out for the flash lighting up when you’re not using your phone. Also, the camera and flash need a lot of processing and battery power. Consequently you might notice it getting very hot even when you don’t use it if someone else is controlling it remotely.

Whether you’ve managed to pick up a budget smartphone with a great camera or a bargain such as a new iPhone SE, you’ll still want to get a mobile phone or iPhone insurance policy to protect your investment.

Remember, Experimax is your Mac and Apple Specialist.

Please let us know if we can assist you with your computer and mobile device needs.

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861 N Higley Rd #112 - Gilbert, AZ

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