Can Someone Hack Your Phone by Calling or Texting You?

Can someone hack your phone by calling or texting you? Simply “No.” Just incoming calls or messaging cannot put your phone at risk of being hacked. However, you could fall victim to a scam or phishing attack if you give sensitive information or click on malicious links sent via text.

Whether you’re an Android or iPhone user, your device is still at risk of hacking attempts. So, how can a call or text be used to hack your phone? And what can you do to protect yourself from these cyber attacks? Check out the blog to find out more.

Can Someone Hack Your Phone by Calling You?

Start with a general query: “Can someone hack my phone by calling me?” Well, your phone can’t be hacked by receiving a hacker’s phone call. But they can scam you if you give him any sensitive information. Calling you can be the first step of a hacker in his attempt to breach your phone’s security.

How Hackers Try to Hack Your Phone by Calling You?

Hackers try different tricks to hack your phone by calling you. Here are some methods pointed out below.

• Vishing: This is a type of social engineering attack. In this attack, the hacker pretends to be a legitimate entity and uses voice calls to gather sensitive information from the victim.
• Spoofing: Hackers can use spoofed numbers or caller IDs to make their calls appear as if they are coming from a trusted source.
• Phishing: Like vishing, hackers make phone calls to fool people into revealing personal or financial info. As per statistics, around 323,972 internet users got caught up in phishing attacks.
• Scamming: Hackers may call and claim to be from a service provider or company, asking for personal information or service payment.
• OTP Scam: In this hack, the hacker will call and pretend to be from a bank or other service provider. They will ask for one-time passwords (OTPs) that they can use to access your accounts.

So, to protect yourself from such hackers, the best thing you can do is avoid unknown phone calls. And if you receive the call, then ensure not to share any sensitive information.

Never give out personal or financial information over the phone unless you are 100% sure of the caller’s identity.

In recent times, hackers call from numbers containing suspicious digit amounts. For instance, if in your state or country, a phone number contains 11 digits and you receive a call from a phone number having 7 digits, then you should avoid such calls. In that case, you also should not receive the call.

Can Someone Hack Your Phone by Texting You?

Another query is, “Can someone hack my phone by texting me?” Like phone calls, your device will not be hacked just because of incoming text or message. Your device can be hacked only if you open the message or do an action (like click on the link).

Hackers may send you viruses, malware, or phishing links via SMS or text on any social media messaging platform (like WhatsApp). They will trick you into downloading or clicking on them. When you take the bait, your device gets infected, and hackers can steal sensitive information stored on your phone.

How Hackers Try to Hack Your Phone by Texting You?

Here are some ways hackers can attempt to hack your phone through texting:

• Smishing: A combination of SMS and phishing. Here, hackers send fraudulent messages posing as legitimate organizations asking for personal information or login credentials.
• Malware-laced texts: Messages containing malicious links or attachments that can infect your device with malware once opened.
• Fake Package Delivery Texts: In this scam, you receive a text stating that a package delivery was attempted, and you need to click on the link provided to provide additional information.
• Third-party application link: Hackers may also send you links to download third-party applications, which can compromise your device’s security.
• Direct virus: In some cases, hackers may send direct viruses via text. This can be a simple text message containing code that can exploit vulnerabilities in your device’s operating system.
• Spyware: Hackers may also use texts to install spyware on your device. I will give them access to your personal data and online activities.

You should not open suspicious texts or click on unknown links to stay safe from such text-based cyber attacks. Moreover, avoid responding to messages asking for personal information or login credentials.

Other Methods That Can Risk Your Phone Security

Apart from direct calls and texts, there are other methods hackers can use to breach your phone’s security. These include:

Public Wi-Fi:

Hackers can intercept sensitive information when you connect to unsecured public Wi-Fi networks. Here’s how they do it:

• Man-in-the-middle attack: Hackers position themselves between your device and the network to intercept transmitted data.
• Fake Wi-Fi hotspots: Hackers set up fake Wi-Fi networks with names similar to legitimate ones, tricking you into connecting and giving them access to your device.

Physical access:

If someone has physical access to your phone, they can easily install spyware or malware. They may also try to guess your password or pattern lock and gain access to your device’s data.

Malvertising:

Hackers can use malicious ads that pop up on your phone while browsing the internet. Click on these ads can cause malware installation on your device.

Bluetooth Hacking:

Hackers can also exploit vulnerabilities in Bluetooth technology to gain access to your device. They may try to connect to your device via Bluetooth without you noticing. It can give them control over your data.

Social Engineering:

Hackers may also use social engineering tactics to gain access to your phone. They can trick you into giving them personal information or clicking on malicious links through various techniques like voice phishing, smishing, or vishing.

Fake apps:

Some hackers create fake apps that look legitimate but contain malicious code. These apps can be used to steal personal data or track your online activities.

Phishing emails:

Similar to texts, hackers can also use phishing emails to trick you into revealing sensitive information or downloading malware. These emails can appear to be from legit organizations and may contain links or attachments that can compromise your device.

What Will Happen If Your Phone Is Hacked? Potential Dangers

If a hacker hacks your phone, then you are in big danger. A hacker can access your phone’s data, including contacts, messages, photos, and videos. They can also use spyware to track your location and monitor your online activity.

Moreover, hackers may also use your device as a gateway to access other devices on the same network or steal sensitive information like bank account details, credit card numbers, etc.

Plus, hackers can access your company’s sensitive data if your phone is hacked and you use it for work purposes. In some extreme cases, hackers can even lock your device or encrypt your data and demand ransom to release it.

How to Know If Your Phone Is Hacked? 10 Signs

Can you tell if your phone is hacked? If you suspect that someone may have hacked your phone, here are some signs to look out for:

1. Unusual battery drainage.
2. A sudden increase in data usage.
3. Slow performance.
4. Suspicious activity on the application, such as unfamiliar logins, new account signups, or password reset emails.
5. Pop-ups or ads appear even when you’re not browsing the internet.
6. Changes in settings that you didn’t make.
7. Unexplained charges on your bills.
8. Unknown apps and programs installed on your device.
9. Unrecognized incoming calls & text messages.
10. Contacts receiving messages or spam from you that you didn’t send.

If you observe any of these signs, it’s possible that your phone may have been hacked.

What to Do? (Prevention & Damage Control)

Now, the most important question is, “What to do?” You may either follow precautions to avoid hacking attempts or do some damage control if you suspect that your phone has been hacked.

Prevention

Prevention is better than cure. Here are some preventive measures to safeguard yourself from phone hacking:

• Keep your operating system up-to-date.
• Regularly backup your data.
• Use strong passwords and biometric authentication methods.
• Be cautious while using public Wi-Fi, and turn off Bluetooth when not in use.
• Install the latest security patches and antivirus software.
• Don’t pick up calls from unknown numbers.
• Don’t click on suspicious links or open attachments from unknown senders.

Damage Control

If you suspect that your phone may have been hacked or compromised, here’s what you can do to mitigate the damage:

• Disconnect from the internet and turn off your Wi-Fi & mobile data.
• Change all your passwords.
• Remove any unknown apps or programs from your device.
• Run a malware scan on your device.
• Reset your device.
• Contact your service provider or a technical expert for assistance.

FAQs

What do you dial to see if your phone location is being tracked?

You can dial *#*#4636#*#* or *#*#197328640#*#* to check if your phone location is being tracked. This code will show you all your device’s call forwarding and data transfer settings. If there are any unknown or unauthorized numbers in the list, it could be a sign that your phone is being tracked.

How can you check if your calls and messages are being redirected to another number?

You may Dial *#62* to find out if any calls and messages are being redirected from your number to another number. It will show you if your calls and messages are being forwarded to a different number, indicating that someone may have hacked your device.

Can a hacker see everything on my phone?

Yes, if a hacker gets into your phone, they can see all the stuff on it. It includes your data, emails, messages, photos, videos, bank details, etc. Overall, the hacker will have complete control over your device.

What if a scammer has your phone number?

If a scammer has your phone number, they can use it for all sorts of sneaky tricks like vishing, smishing, or even identity theft. They may try to spam you with bogus text messages to swipe your info and hard-earned cash.

Can my iPhone be hacked?

Yes, your iPhone can be hacked. The iPhones are indeed more secure than Android. But it doesn’t mean they’re not entirely immune to being hacked. Hackers can access your iPhone by exploiting application vulnerabilities or the iOS operating system.

Final Words

If you’ve reached the end, you’ve learned to keep your phone safe from hacking. Just remember, hackers are constantly looking for new ways to exploit vulnerabilities in technology. So, stay informed and cautious to protect yourself.

Follow the preventive measures outlined above and be vigilant about any suspicious activity on your device. Avoid answering calls or responding to messages from unknown numbers.

In case of a hack, act quickly to minimize damage and seek professional help. Contact us via our support team for any additional queries or concerns.