Safety must always be our priority. With the help of a few shortcodes, you can learn more about your phone settings and find out whether or not your messages and information are protected and whether you are being tracked.
We put together some of the most useful and important codes for smartphones in one article, along with some instructions for those who are concerned about being tracked.
Code To Check If Phone Is Tapped
*#21#
With this code, you can find out if your calls, messages and other data are being diverted. The status of the different types of diversions that are taking place along with the number to which the information is transferred will be displayed on your phone screen.
This role is usually set up by jealous partners or parents trying to protect their children from spam or criminals.
Older people are often victims of this practice when they lend their phone to a stranger to make a single call. If they do so, they risk having information about where they live, who their friends and family are, their daily habits and activities, and even their financial conditions being passed on to criminals.
*#62#
Dial this code if you want to know where calls, messages, and data are redirected, in case it seems that no one can reach you. In this case, your voice calls are likely to be redirected to one of the cellular operator’s numbers.
##02#
This is a universal code to disable all forms of redirection from your phone. It is a good idea to use this before roaming. In this case, no money will be withdrawn from your account for calls redirected by default to your voicemail.
*#06#
With the help of this code, you can find your IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identifier). If you know that number, they can find your phone if someone steals it.
When connected, its location is automatically communicated to the network operator, even if a different SIM card is inserted. If someone knows your IMEI number, they can find out the model and technical characteristics of your phone.
The James Bond Code
There are special codes that allow someone to track your location and also determine if someone is following you. For that, you need the netmonitor utility. Enter one of the following codes:
- for iPhone: 3001#12345#
- for Android: ##4636## or ##197328640##
Step 1. Go to the section called UMTS Cell Environment, then UMTS RR info, and write down all the numbers in Cell ID. These numbers are the base stations located nearby. Your phone will connect by default to the one that emits the best signal.
Step 2. Go back to the main menu and click on the MM information tab and Serving PLMN. Write down the local area code (LAC) numbers.
Step 3. With the help of these two numbers and an ordinary website (the fourth tab on the left), you can determine the location on the map of the base station to which your phone is connected.
The ones to be suspicious of are mobile basic stations: it could be a truck or a small bus with a large antenna. These types of vehicles are used at rock festivals and in places where Internet coverage is poor. If there’s one nearby, seemingly for no logical reason, someone may be spying.
Use Anti-Virus Software
If you use Android, you should periodically check your phone for viruses. PlaceRaider is one of the most dangerous that can infect your device. Developed by American experts, the goal was to show how vulnerable our devices are.
As soon as it reaches a phone, this Trojan takes a series of photos of the surrounding area, creates a 3D model of the building it is in, and then takes advantage of any Internet connection to send the collected data, adding all phone data and passwords.
How Do The Secret Services Listen In?
National security agencies in virtually every country now cooperate with cell phone operators, who often provide early access to information about any of their customers, provided they have a court order. At a minimum, they provide data for the last three months.
If your phone has been tapped by a law enforcement agency, you probably won’t even know it. If a phone makes strange noises during a conversation, loses battery quickly, overheats, or restarts unexpectedly, this is just an indication that you need to repair it, not a sign that you’re being listened to.
People don’t usually reveal much in phone conversations, so from the point of view of listeners, it is much more useful to install special devices (“bugs”) in someone’s home. Radio wave detectors can be used to find out if these errors are present in a building.
How Can You Protect Yourself From Criminals And Spies?
Use completely closed messaging apps for strangers such as Telegram, Chare, Wickr, or Signal.
Determine what information is secure so that everyone can access it. Should everyone really be able to discover your phone number or have access to information about your family, loved ones, or your lifestyle? Be very careful when posting pictures of children.
Don’t install unknown programs on your phone, keep a close eye on the apps you have installed, and use multiple security locks whenever you can. Don’t click on unsafe links and don’t connect your phone to suspicious “free” charging points.
Only your mobile operator should offer tracking services and should only activate them with your explicit consent. Sites and apps that offer to find out the location of other people are almost certainly acting with criminal intent. Be careful!
