It is not news that people are complaining about being hacked through phone calls.
Have you heard of people claiming they lost money in their bank account after answering a phone call? Or have you also seen some WhatsApp-forwarded messages asking you not to pick up calls from a particular phone number? They always claim to have been hacked after they answered such calls.
It is common for people to wonder if they can be hacked by simply answering a phone or calling a particular number.
The fact is that the answer to this question cannot be a yes-or-no answer. We now live in a world where we pick up calls using different devices. Most of the devices we use are purely handheld computers. So, there is a lot that could be happening while picking up a phone call with them.
Therefore, it is right to say that you can be hacked and right to say that you cannot, depending on the device used in answering the call and the situation at hand.
In this post, we will try to demystify the confusion surrounding that and tell you how it is possible to get hacked through phone calls.
Three Ways to Get Hacked Through a Phone Call
Getting hacked through a phone call is possible; this can happen in a few different ways. These include;
- Phone call tapping.
Phone call tapping happens when someone can listen to your phone conversation. Bad actors utilize this attack to reset their victim’s online login details using a phone call two-factor authentication method. They initiate the authentication call from their end and use the call-tapping setup to get the code.
So, most of the claims that an account was hacked after answering a call occur through this technique.
Bad actors can tap phone calls in different ways, but the most common is through the use of spyware and an automatic call recorder. Check out posts here on how phone calls are tapped and how to detect spyware on your phone. Bad actors can also use the same tapping trick to read victims’ text messages.
- Stingray
Another way you can be hacked through phone calls is with a stingray, also known as a cell site simulator or IMSI catcher.
Stingray is a cell phone monitoring device that acts as a cell tower decoy. Stingray is used in a man-in-the-middle attack, which tricks mobile devices into connecting to it, thinking it is an original network service provider’s tower.
Security operatives mostly use the device to track people’s locations. It also has the power to capture text messages and call data.
In order to detect this kind of attack and avoid it, you will need to have an app on your phone to see cell towers in your area and the one you are connected to. There are free apps that can help you achieve that.
- Voicemail Hacking
Another way people get hacked through phone calls is through their voicemail box. This trick looks more like the call-tapping method, but with a different tactic. The majority of WhatsApp users got their accounts hijacked using this tactic.
Many people do not have their voicemail box protected with a password. While some even have a voicemail box setup without even noticing it, with a dial of code on another phone, one can read your stored voicemail messages on another phone. They can do that using the default voicemail password provided by the mobile network providers. Once they have access to your voicemail box, they can gain access to your call through two-factor authentication.
Therefore, you should have a password set up for your voicemail box. You have to check with your mobile network provider or Google to see how you can set your password.
The fact is that people’s bank accounts are not just hacked because they answered a phone call; some factors will be in place for that to happen. Bad actors are not magicians; you will have to enable it for them to hack you. You allow them through the app you installed and from where you install them, places you visit online, improper configurations, things you click on, and permissions you grant to applications. Always be cybersecurity conscious.
