damn technology

i think my phone got hacked. i use an htc desire hd phone. an hour ago i got an sms sound notification on it; clicked the phone open and saw a pop up, for the first time, that was asking me to "cancel" or "save" the sms. i instinctively clicked "save." the sms was -- please send us an email at gibson@vips.se.com for confidential information that we cannot discuss over phone. i realized i had made a mistake. i called back the number and got this taped message -- vodaphone has temporarily suspended this number. we used google and traced the sms sender to delhi. i called my son. he factory-rebooted my phone that deleted all applications. but that was still not enough. i am most worried about my gmail account. i don't use the phone to make credit card transactions. i've put 2 step verification (voice mail) in gmail for everytime i login. i'll have to buy a new htc -- that is the only way out. any suggestions? my phone (and contacts) is still in order but any email from my gmail account to suchers -- think before you tread.

why would a hacker care about ur gmail account (it's a hobby of only the stalkerish ch'ers).

since u don't do cc transactions on this phone, rest assured. maybe the only thing that they took away is the numbers and emails on ur contact list, so that they can try hacking them now.

to be honest, if someone called me and said pay XXX to have your gmail back, i would. like a fool, i've invested everything in that account. i don't care for the numbers, memos, smses or contact list.

Huzefa Kapasi wrote:to be honest, if someone called me and said pay XXX to have your gmail back, i would. like a fool, i've invested everything in that account. i don't care for the numbers, memos, smses or contact list.

maybe i don't understand. why do u think ur gmail is still compromised? as long as u have changed password, etc. should be good to go.

the virus could in the system folder of the phone which is not altered in a manual factory-reset. this means that he may still be able to access my gmail account through the phone and make changes. i thought you were a techie!!!

Huzefa Kapasi wrote:to be honest, if someone called me and said pay XXX to have your gmail back, i would. like a fool, i've invested everything in that account. i don't care for the numbers, memos, smses or contact list.

Got all female handle photos saved on that acct?

Ur email acct info wouldn't be saved in the phone system folder...better check some android forums for help...

Propagandhi711 wrote:

Huzefa Kapasi wrote:to be honest, if someone called me and said pay XXX to have your gmail back, i would. like a fool, i've invested everything in that account. i don't care for the numbers, memos, smses or contact list.

Got all female handle photos saved on that acct?

aaah, see only a man understands another man's pain.

Propagandhi711 wrote:Ur email acct info wouldn't be saved in the phone system folder...better check some android forums for help...

(my older typing) the account info are stored in data folder which is formatted on factory reset ... what i meant was that the virus could have entered the system folder in which case it cant be deleted during factory reset. Therefore there is still a possibility that the virus is in the system folder and may compromise emails/contacts. My only suggestion is to format the internal nand chip and load a completely new rom.

i'm buying a new htc one x phone tomorrow. no point checking android forums. older will get my existing phone's rom changed and keep it. fair deal.

Huzefa Kapasi wrote:i think my phone got hacked. i use an htc desire hd phone. an hour ago i got an sms sound notification on it; clicked the phone open and saw a pop up, for the first time, that was asking me to "cancel" or "save" the sms. i instinctively clicked "save." the sms was -- please send us an email at gibson@vips.se.com for confidential information that we cannot discuss over phone. i realized i had made a mistake. i called back the number and got this taped message -- vodaphone has temporarily suspended this number. we used google and traced the sms sender to delhi. i called my son. he factory-rebooted my phone that deleted all applications. but that was still not enough. i am most worried about my gmail account. i don't use the phone to make credit card transactions. i've put 2 step verification (voice mail) in gmail for everytime i login. i'll have to buy a new htc -- that is the only way out. any suggestions? my phone (and contacts) is still in order but any email from my gmail account to suchers -- think before you tread.

Based on all you have said, I don't think your information has been compromised. Let me break this down into separate issues and resolutions.

1. Why did you see a popup for the SMS, with "cancel" or "save"? You -- or your kid -- may have installed an app called SMS Popup (or something similar) from the Play Store. That app generates a popup for every new SMS, which makes it easier for you to deal with SMSs when your phone is locked / being used for something else like browsing or watching a video.

2. Would clicking "Save" on such a popup compromise your information? I don't think so. Saving an SMS moves it to the data partition and stores it there. When you do a factory reset, the data and cache partitions are wiped clean. You can easily verify whether that SMS is still around: just go into your Messaging app and look to see if that SMS is there. If you had installed the SMS Popup application, that would be gone as well after the factory reset.

3. Does anything about your Google account remain on the phone after a factory reset? I don't think so. Now that your son has wiped the data and cache partitions, your phone was good as new. I am assuming that you did not "root" the phone prior to tapping that "Save" button. If you did not root, there is no way any app / virus would have had write access on the /system partition. Even on rooted phones, you need to take some action to make the /system partition writable; the default is to mount it as read-only.

4. Do you absolutely need to load a new ROM to be completely sure that there is no malicious code in your /system partition? If you had rooted your phone prior to tapping that "Save" button, then loading a new ROM or flashing the HTC system image while in recovery mode is a good idea for peace of mind. If you had not rooted your phone, you will need to root it now to flash the HTC system image or a new ROM. If you don't know how all this works, my advice would be to not root the phone because you may actually make your phone more vulnerable in future if you root it without knowing what you are doing.

5. How can you find out whether the initial issue (SMS popup) was because you installed the SMS Popup app or something similar? Go into your Play Store account (play.google.com). Click on My Android Apps. Look for "Other Apps in my library" -- that section shows apps that you used to have on your phone but are no longer on it. If you see any app listed there that creates a popup for new SMSs, then you know your phone was never compromised.

Of course, if your son is eyeing the Touch HD and you are eyeing the new One X, buying that One X and handing your phone over to the kid is the wisest course of action .

panini press wrote:1. Why did you see a popup for the SMS, with "cancel" or "save"? You -- or your kid -- may have installed an app called SMS Popup (or something similar) from the Play Store. That app generates a popup for every new SMS, which makes it easier for you to deal with SMSs when your phone is locked / being used for something else like browsing or watching a video.

this is the first time i got this pop up with the save/cancel option. i had my kid send me several smses after this incident: no pop up with save/cancel option. i feel because the sender's phone account is suspended by vodaphone, but yet he managed to send an sms from it, this pop up was prompted by vodaphone.

2. Would clicking "Save" on such a popup compromise your information? I don't think so. Saving an SMS moves it to the data partition and stores it there. When you do a factory reset, the data and cache partitions are wiped clean. You can easily verify whether that SMS is still around: just go into your Messaging app and look to see if that SMS is there. If you had installed the SMS Popup application, that would be gone as well after the factory reset.

no that sms is not around anymore. all my smses stand cleared after the factory reset.

3. Does anything about your Google account remain on the phone after a factory reset? I don't think so. Now that your son has wiped the data and cache partitions, your phone was good as new. I am assuming that you did not "root" the phone prior to tapping that "Save" button. If you did not root, there is no way any app / virus would have had write access on the /system partition. Even on rooted phones, you need to take some action to make the /system partition writable; the default is to mount it as read-only.

just spoke to my kid. no, the phone was not rooted prior to the "save." he agrees with what you say yet he feels that since android is open source, it is not difficult to find exploits.

5. How can you find out whether the initial issue (SMS popup) was because you installed the SMS Popup app or something similar? Go into your Play Store account (play.google.com). Click on My Android Apps. Look for "Other Apps in my library" -- that section shows apps that you used to have on your phone but are no longer on it. If you see any app listed there that creates a popup for new SMSs, then you know your phone was never compromised.

no there is no such application. btw, i do get a pop up every time i have got an sms and later click my phone open. this is by default, but only in this instance i had the option to save or cancel.

Of course, if your son is eyeing the Touch HD and you are eyeing the new One X, buying that One X and handing your phone over to the kid is the wisest course of action .

lol, no. i am less paranoid now and will stick with this phone for a few days to see what happens. my gmail is on 2 step verification, so any password change can be made only after a verification code sent over voice mail -- so i'm not worried on that score.

ok, i did buy one x today (older gets my desire hd and older's htc travels to younger). i decided to upgrade. it is way lighter than desire hd and has a slightly bigger screen. the only problem with htc is the battery (i think props. had warned me once). you have to restart the phone once a week to shut down all the applications running in the background.

i don't think my phone is hacked though. i did not notice any unusual activity in my phone today. phew!

Congrats on the all-round phone upgrades in the Kapasi household. You should thank Gibson at VIPs Sweden for this.

Huzefa Kapasi wrote:ok, i did buy one x today

i don't think my phone is hacked though. i did not notice any unusual activity in my phone today. phew!

So basically you put on a drama to get a new phone.... This is what happens when you spend too much time on chat with Nats.

panini press wrote:Congrats on the all-round phone upgrades in the Kapasi household. You should thank Gibson at VIPs Sweden for this.

LOLu

Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:
So basically you put on a drama to get a new phone.... This is what happens when you spend too much time on chat with Nats.

ha ha. the threat was real but it fizzled out. the hacker did not find anything in my phone and emptied his stack. thanks for your concern!

LOL, it was not a hack but a nigerian scam. i wrote an email to that address the day before and got a reply from benjamin john gibson today. i am finally relieved.

---------------------------------text of the email--------------------------------------------------------
Dear friend,

I sincerely apologize for intruding into your privacy, especially by contacting you through this means for a business transaction of this magnitude. I actually had contacted you via the WEB ISMS because my mobile telephone package does not send or receive messages. [this is the reason my phone gave me the warning -- it is a default setting i think] Let me formally introduce myself to you. I am Mr. Benjamin Josh Gibson, the Operations Manager and Head of Personal Banking division in our bank. I want you to partner with me in getting back an abandoned sum of (US$4,800,000.00) left behind in a fixed deposit account in our bank by a citizen of your country Mr. Rime Vishnuramann. If this will endanger your position and reputation, I would not have contacted you. This is safe and beneficial and please do not expose this transaction for any reason, I will give you more information of myself, our bank and the transaction itself once you write again.

In November 2008, a customer called Mr. Rime Vishnuramann from India who had lived and worked in New York City as an international businessman came to our bank for business discussion and transaction. As the officer in charge of my division, I encouraged him to consider various growth of funds with prime ratings. Then he invested (US$4,800,000.00) Four Million Eight Hundred Thousand United State Dollars Only in a fixed deposit account with us. Based on my advice, we were able to spin the initial deposit with profit on simple interest rate of 4% per annum to $5,168,000.00 U.S Dollars. This deposit has long matured and has gone dormant for about two years. Several emails sent to him from our bank kept bouncing back as undelivered, his telephone number could not be reached and we never got any response from the letters posted to his residential address. This issue prompted me to carrying out an independent investigation about his whereabouts since he did not provide a next of kin or beneficiary at the time he made the deposit with us. I later realized with shook that he died sometime in 2009 of heart related illness in a Los Angeles hospital. His death was not reported to our bank from that time till this moment and nobody in our bank is aware of this. He was a kind hearten man and give money out freely. I pray his soul rest in peace

Due to the sensitive nature of Private Banking norms, most customers don't nominate next of kin in their investment, also usually in most cases leave their WILLS in our care, in this case; it is now clear that our now deceased client died intestate; with no known or identifiable family member. What bothers me most and the sole reason for contacting you for this life changing transaction is that, according to practice, the Private Banking sector will by the end of this year broadcast a request for statement of claim to Access Credit's, failing to receive viable claims they will probably revert the deposit to the Management of Access Credit's accounting system and the portfolio will be out of my hands and out of the Private Banking division, therefore resulting our bank turning this deposit ownership to the United States National Treasury if this claim is not made before August 30th, 2012. Since this is the issue, I want you to apply as the next of kin of the deceased to claim the deposit from our bank since you are from the same country and assumed he was from India. It does not matter whether you knew him or not, it does not matter if you have any kind of relationship with him or not. I will guide you all the way to make this claim. This is not a matter of being greedy or having ugly morals, it is not the best to leave the money to eventually end up in Government hands while we have the opportunity to live better with it. This is a risk free transaction, as I am the operations manager of our bank and the final approval of your application will be done by my department.

Now, I am prepared to give the necessary details to you as the closest surviving relation of our deceased customer (Mr. Rime Vishnuramann) and with my influence, our bank will tender the necessary documents to appropriate authorities in India to enable a smooth transfer of the money into your bank account. I am also proposing that after the successful execution of the business deal, the funds will be shared in the ratio of 40/60 percent apiece. You will get 40% and I will be entitled to 60% as the initiator of the deal. You know that I must have done my home work already before contacting you. Although the project is capital intensive, I know I will be able to pull it through from here both expenditure and otherwise following proper Banking and legal channels with your assistance at your end. I will tidy up the legal aspect with the assistance of a lawyer who will prepare all the documents that will be needed to transfer the money from the United States of America to India.

All I require now is your honest cooperation to enable us make this claim and we have to do this within shortest time possible. Once more, I ask that if you find no interest in this project that you should discard this mail and forget I ever contacted you. Do not be vindictive and destructive; do not destroy my career. But endeavour to keep this transaction confidential because opportunity like this comes once in a man’s life time. If you are willing to do this with me, write back and I shall inform you on what next to do. If nothing is done immediately, the money will be returned to the government treasury of the United States as an abandoned fund and we will gain nothing from it. I would want you to think about this and let me know your decision. If you give me positive response, I will give you the relevant INFORMATION for the successful transfer of these funds and we both enjoy it in peace. I am waiting for your consent in order to move to the next step towards getting the fund.

Thank you and I am waiting.

Best regards,
Mr. Benjamin Josh Gibson
Tel: +1 (614) 375 4770
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Rime Vishnuramann - what a nice name!