How secure is Android operating system?

[billbennett]

Hey everyone,

Might be a bit paranoid here, but how secure is Android from spyware?

I've made a large money transfer for a deposit for a house over my Galaxy S9 today

Since that call I've had 3 random Number texts saying there's an issue with my HSBC account(Don't have one), a text saying I owe money to Royal Mail for a package and also one supposedly from DPD saying they've been unable to deliver a package due to owing £1.79

What's the chance there's some tracking/spying software on my phone? Unlikely?

Kind regards

Mark

 

[tom_e]

Unlikely unless you're rooted and download apks from weird and wonderful places.

 

[billbennett]

Nope not rooted. Not since Knox came along

 

[Space Monkey]

Hey everyone,

Might be a bit paranoid here, but how secure is Android from spyware?

I've made a large money transfer for a deposit for a house over my Galaxy S9 today

Since that call I've had 3 random Number texts saying there's an issue with my HSBC account(Don't have one), a text saying I owe money to Royal Mail for a package and also one supposedly from DPD saying they've been unable to deliver a package due to owing £1.79

What's the chance there's some tracking/spying software on my phone? Unlikely?

Kind regards

Mark

I've been getting these for the last few weeks and I've done nothing like you've done, it's even been all over the news recently as well, likely just a coincidence

 

[Rroff]

Unless you have some dodgy build of Android, etc. probably fairly secure but seems a lot of general activity data is getting around if I do financial stuff I seem to get a flurry of ads related to that and HSBC, etc. scam type stuff targetted at my link email account(s) with the pattern repeating far too often to be just coincidence.

Even with privacy settings fairly locked down - though I don't go to town on it.

 

[Orcvader]

Samsung is generally good with security updates, while I believe the S9 no longer gets major OS updates, they still get monthly security patches.

As for the spam calls... unfortunately they've been increasing over the past few months: https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.p...-made-to-people-in-the-uk-in-2021-so-far.html

I use Phone by Google and Messages, they manage to filter out some of the new spam calls/messages, but some still get through.

 

[Lysander]

It's spam, if you got anything like this:

 

[jsmoke]

Did you put your number on the net for anything, sign up or buy anything online?

 

[billbennett]

One thing I have done is spend a lot more than usual, and sign up for a lot more deals on house insurance, life insurance, bills etc. The pleasures of owning a house

 

[biron_w]

Since that call I've had 3 random Number texts saying there's an issue with my HSBC account(Don't have one), a text saying I owe money to Royal Mail for a package and also one supposedly from DPD saying they've been unable to deliver a package due to owing £1.79

I've had them recently as well. Plus spam calls supposedly from the National Insurance Department (there's no such thing). I just ignore them and block the number.

 

[Scam]

There's a huge amount of HSBC and Royal Mail spam texts going around at the moment. Have been for a month or so. I wouldn't have thought it's related.

 

[Orcvader]

They don't even need to catch your number from somwhere. They just ignore all calling rules and use a random number generator and see what works. All standard mobile numbers start with 07 so the rest they just randomly generate, and mass robocall/text all of them and see what numbers reply.

 

[TheVoice]

If you get any spam/scam texts like that forward it to 7726, works on all (or at least, most) mobile networks and means they can investigate where the messages are coming from and block them.

 

[Orcvader]

If you get any spam/scam texts like that forward it to 7726, works on all (or at least, most) mobile networks and means they can investigate where the messages are coming from and block them.

Adding onto this, I noticed Google Messages does this automatically for you. Spam text arrived, a prompt appeared on the top asking if it was spam. I tapped the button reporting it as spam, and looking in spam and blocked section, saw it was automatically forwarded to 7726.

 

[biron_w]

I got a spam message saying that "yeur ikea order is ready for delivery. Click the link" I have never bought anything from ikea in my life.

 

[Lysander]

I got a spam message saying that "yeur ikea order is ready for delivery. Click the link" I have never bought anything from ikea in my life.

Well now's the time!

Adding onto this, I noticed Google Messages does this automatically for you. Spam text arrived, a prompt appeared on the top asking if it was spam. I tapped the button reporting it as spam, and looking in spam and blocked section, saw it was automatically forwarded to 7726.

Indeed, as screenshotted above

 

[Orcvader]

Well now's the time!



Indeed, as screenshotted above

Yours oddly didn't, mine came up like this:

Unless it was already detected as spam and instantly moved to the spam folder, meaning it may have already been reported previously.