Listening to and spying on a cell phone - is that possible?

Listening to and spying on a cell phone - determining your location

Law enforcement agencies find it comparatively easy to eavesdrop on or spy on a cell phone. Read below which methods are used:

As soon as you have switched on your smartphone and unlocked the SIM card with the PIN, it logs on to the nearest transmission tower. This enables at least a rough location of the cell phone to be carried out. In the city this often works better than in the country, since there are fewer transmission masts in the country.
For data protection reasons, only the location of the cell phone is forwarded to the cell phone provider. Personal data such as SMS or phone calls remain unaffected.
So that the location can be determined, a so-called silent SMS is sent to the cell phone. As a user, you will not notice it. The cell phone answers with the current location. However, this procedure must be ordered by a judge - unless there is "imminent danger", which is a widely spread term.
Such a procedure is used almost daily for suspected criminals, so that movement profiles are created that could serve as evidence in a later trial.
But be careful: These procedures are only intended for state authorities. You will find numerous apps on the Internet that offer such functions, but viruses and fraudsters are often lurking behind them.

To be able to eavesdrop on a cell phone, law enforcement agencies need a so-called IMSI catcher. If this is close enough to the cell phone, the cell phone automatically logs in there and the conversations can be overheard.
As a user, you will only see that you have connected to the avoidable network operator that the catcher claims to be.
The cost of such a device is often in the six- to seven-digit range.
In addition to the call, the destination number and the time of the call are also saved.

In addition, law enforcement officers can open the camera without your noticing if the phone is turned on.
To protect yourself from third-party attacks by criminals, it can often help if you remove the battery. Alternatively, you can protect yourself with Android's Recovery Mode.
Even if apps are installed, criminals can spy on your data. For example, all entries can be intercepted and saved using the keyboard in order to access sensitive passwords.
Often you will not notice any of this, since the app works as you would expect it to. However, your data is collected in the background.
Therefore, you should only install the apps that you trust. User reviews can be helpful. Only use apps from known sources, such as Google Play or the Chip App portal.
There are also dangers lurking in unsecured WLAN networks. Here, everyone can find out which pages you are visiting and what data is being sent and received with the appropriate software without much effort. You can protect yourself against this with a VPN.
Please note: There are numerous offers on the Internet that are supposed to allow you to spy on mobile phones quickly and easily. However, we do not recommend using these offers. Because behind it are often hidden fraudsters who demand horrendous sums for their non-existent service. In addition, most apps or offers for eavesdropping or spying are mostly illegal under German law.

In our next practical tip, you will find out whether you can also locate the SIM card.