How to Find Out Who’s Tracking You Through Your Smartphone

According to research firm Ovum, the smartphone penetration rate will grow at 52.9% year-on-year. By 2020, Sub-Saharan Africa should reach a total of 540 million smartphones from 380 million at the end of 2015. In the Gambia, the introduction of smartphones has ushered in complete paradigm shift in the society; it has changed how people relate to one another and how businesses are transacted. Today, the young and old alike are users of smartphones and the rate at which Gambians own such devices is rapidly increasing. Henceforth, it is really only fair if we could know who is who when it comes to safety and security.

In everything we do safety should always be our top priority. With the help of just a few codes, you can find out more about the settings of your phone and work out whether or not your messages and information are protected and whether you’re being tracked.

We at Myjamano have gathered some most useful and important codes for smartphones in this post, together with some instructions for those who’re worried about being tracked.  Here we go:

*#21#

With this code, you can find out whether 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 the information is being transferred to will be displayed on your phone’s screen.

This function is most often used by jealous partners or parents who are trying to protect their kids from spam or criminals. Elderly and uneducated people often become 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 habits and daily activities, and even their financial circumstances passed on to criminals.

*#62#

Dial this code if you want to find out where calls, messages and data are being redirected to if it seems that no one can get through to you. The chances in this case are that your voice calls are being redirected to one of your cell phone operator’s numbers.

##002#

This is a universal code for switching off all forms of redirection away from your phone. It’s a good idea to use this before you have to use roaming. In this case, money won’t be taken from your account for calls that are redirected by default to your voice mail.

*#06#

With the help of this code, you can find out your IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identifier). If you know this number, you can find your phone if someone steals it. When switched on, its location is automatically conveyed 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.

• Use Anti-Virus Software

If you use Android, you should periodically check your phone for viruses. PlaceRaider is one of the most dangerous ones that can infect your device. It was developed by American experts and was meant to show how vulnerable our devices are. Once it gets onto a phone, this Trojan takes a series of photographs of the surrounding area, creates a 3D model of the building you’re in, and then takes advantage of any Internet connection to send the data that it’s gathered, adding along with it all the data on the phone and your passwords.

•  How do the secret services Listen In?

National security agencies in virtually all countries now cooperate with cell phone operators, who often provide them with access to information on any of their customers provided they have a warrant from a court. As a minimum, they provide data from the last three months.

If your phone has been tapped by a security agency, chances are you won’t even notice. If a phone makes odd noises during a conversation, loses battery power rapidly, overheats, or unexpectedly restarts, this is merely an indication that you need to get it repaired rather than a tell-tale sign that you’re being listened to

People generally don’t reveal all that much in phone conversations, so from the point of view of those who want to listen in it’s much more worthwhile to set up special devices (“bugs”) in someone’s home. Radio wave detectors can be used to work out whether such bugs are present in a building.

•  How Can You Protect Yourself from Criminals and Spies?

Use messaging apps that are completely closed to outsiders, such as Telegram, Chare, Wickr, or Signal.

Determine what information it’s safe to make accessible to all. Should everyone really be able to find out your phone number or have access to information about your family, loved ones, or your lifestyle? Be very careful when posting photographs of children

Don’t install unknown programs on your phone, keep close track of the apps you have installed, and use multiple security locks wherever you can. Don’t click on unsafe links, and don’t connect your phone to suspicious “free” charging points

Only your cell phone operator should ever offer you tracking devices, and they should only turn them on with your explicit agreement. Websites and applications that offer to find out the location of other people are almost certainly acting with criminal intent.

Be careful!!!