Re: I Phone Cloned Twice
Michaelvzn
Contributor - Level 1

an additional note:  

 

* shades of my daughter using a friends computer and phone to order stuff one time (user id and password information was automatically saved in cache amazingly) and the person using it a second time without her knowledge

does he have a vzn iphone data/voice plan (crazy question) if so what type (full formal configuration - text book) outside of the pizza what else has happened (where he see's it being ordered under his id) to lead you to believe cloned.  how did he know the pizza was being ordered or get informed it was

 

0 Likes
Re: I Phone Cloned Twice
vereyezuhn
Master - Level 3

Michaelvzn wrote:

Allow me to sound stupid (being a parent of a boy and girl) who have come up with various reasons for their devices and information contained on their devices to be viewed, accessed by people (friends included) as well as charges incurred unexpectedly.  Some of their explanations have ranged from cloning to the service provider doing it magically.

 

what precisely is happening with the device, information contained on the device etc which leads you to believe its been cloned also is this the first physical device ever used or a replacement device meaning its a sister device informationally (potentially)

 

I apologize to revisiting this issue, but i need to get a truer picture on the situation at hand and what is the age of the user and who is the account under (parent or child) where the child needs to authenticate information in some manner shape or form and has to provide information.



This is exactly what I thought was happening. I'm assuming the OP's son is a teenager (because why else would he have his parent try to fix this??) who lets his friends view/play with his phone. There's definitely something being left out and I'm guessing it's on the son's part. The son probably let a friend use their phone for something or gave his information to someone (internet or something) and now is paying the consequences.

0 Likes
Re: I Phone Cloned Twice
Not applicable

Wow! I understand your frustration and agree this is a very confusing situation. First, I just want to clarify a few things. Cloning is when someone is using your number to make and receive calls, access data, etc. You would see charges on the bill that did not come from your son's phone, and our network would show calls coming from a different serial number. In order to clone someone's number you would need their 10 digit mobile number, 10 digit mobile identification number, 11 digit electronic serial number and 26 digit authentication key (which changes every 24 hours). With that being said, it is extremely difficult to clone a digital phone. Based on your explanation of this issue, this is not cloning. 

 

This sounds like someone has downloaded an application to your son's phone that is allowing them to remotely control his phone and view his text messages. The only way to do this is directly through the phone itself. Normally, doing a full restore of the phone will erase any such applications. If he is still having this issue after the restore, we can replace his phone. I would suggest putting a password on his phone and not allowing anyone to use it. 

 

As far as the social security number being wiped out, I would need to look at his account. No one, even the account holder can call to remove the social security number from the account. Even if it was incorrect, our credit team would need to review his credit in order to verify it and correct it. You can have your son send me a PM directly to further research this issue. 

0 Likes
Re: I Phone Cloned Twice
kizmazz
Enthusiast - Level 2

I guess that my Son was correct in his assessment that someone had cloned his phone with Apple finally announcing that there was a hole in the security. < whoops>. He was able to determine that his phone was forwarded to Lafayette, LA, New Orleans and my least favorite place to go=Detroit! He had 5-6 times more data transferred than he ever used. He printed out where the data was going and headed down to Verizon and the Apple Store a little while ago. I wonder why the so called experts were unable to discover that his phone was cloned just as he had been telling them. As soon as he returns I will let you know what is going to happen and how they plan on securing his phone. FYI for all who thought my Son was a teenager and said his friends were using his phone were all wrong=he is in his late 20's and no one had access to his phone. Your I Phone can be cloned without someone using it and We will see if Apple plugged the hole in the wall.Thank you all for your input!

0 Likes
Re: I Phone Cloned Twice
kaebfly
Champion - Level 3

kizmazz wrote:

I guess that my Son was correct in his assessment that someone had cloned his phone with Apple finally announcing that there was a hole in the security. < whoops>. He was able to determine that his phone was forwarded to Lafayette, LA, New Orleans and my least favorite place to go=Detroit! He had 5-6 times more data transferred than he ever used. He printed out where the data was going and headed down to Verizon and the Apple Store a little while ago. I wonder why the so called experts were unable to discover that his phone was cloned just as he had been telling them. As soon as he returns I will let you know what is going to happen and how they plan on securing his phone. FYI for all who thought my Son was a teenager and said his friends were using his phone were all wrong=he is in his late 20's and no one had access to his phone. Your I Phone can be cloned without someone using it and We will see if Apple plugged the hole in the wall.Thank you all for your input!



Good luck with everything. I am a little confused though...is there a whole that is only associated with your son's phone or is there a whole in the software for the iPhone period? It would seem that if it's solely his phone they would just replace it with a new one. The whole things sounds odd to me but it they resolve the issue that's all that matters.

0 Likes
Re: I Phone Cloned Twice
Bsmith151
Newbie

"Good luck with everything. I am a little confused though...is there a whole that is only associated with your son's phone or is there a whole in the software for the iPhone period? It would seem that if it's solely his phone they would just replace it with a new one. The whole things sounds odd to me but it they resolve the issue that's all that matters."

 

There was an article in today's Wall Street Journal that German authorities informed Apple of a security flaw that seems to be allowing access to iPhones from infected PDF files.  Apple announced they are working on a fix.

0 Likes
Re: I Phone Cloned Twice
kizmazz
Enthusiast - Level 2

Thank you for the wall Street Journal Article and your reply. His phone and phone number was changed so hopefully this will be the end of this problem.

0 Likes
Re: I Phone Cloned Twice
Jax_Omen
Specialist - Level 3
Again, a security hole that allows unauthorized remote access to the phone is NOT cloning. Cloning has nothing to do with the model of phone.
0 Likes
Re: I Phone Cloned Twice
vereyezuhn
Master - Level 3

This isn't cloning... Cloning would require your son's phone information, and whoever is doing it would need to be *somewhat* near him to get that information. This is a virus-type thing if it's being done through PDF files as the other poster stated

0 Likes