Mobile number masking

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spazz

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Topic # 17375 23-Nov-2007 23:48

Hey guys, hoping for some tech insight,

Although this might sound like I'm trying to cover a dodgy request with an anecdote, I swear this story is legit.

My friend has had this guy at Uni stalking her for quite some time now, so she's taken to ignoring his txts, emails, etc. However, the other day she received a txt from someone in her phone book, let's call him John. Anyway, John was saying some odd things so she replied saying "Oi John what have you been smoking", and John replies, revealing himself as this stalker dude! Yet it appeared to come from John's number! She also said the "callback number" was really long and odd.

So my question - is this Telecom's network/her phone (She has one of those RAZR-like Sanyos) screwing up? Or is this guy really creepy and is this sort of thing even possible?!

Thanks on her behalf for any advice :)

http://walkingisoverrated.com

nzbnw

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Reply # 96662 23-Nov-2007 23:57

First of all, your friend has done the right thing by not replying to the messages. The next step is to contact the Telecom Call Investigations Centre about the issue. They should be able to take up the matter on your friends behalf, and if the messages don't stop, then a change of number may be the best solution.

I will PM you the Telecom Call Investigations Centre number to pass on to your friend.

nzbnw

nzbnw

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Reply # 96665 24-Nov-2007 00:02

PM sent!

nzbnw

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Reply # 96667 24-Nov-2007 00:05

As to CB numbers, they can be defined within the handset, so it is not uncommon to find really odd ones, but it shoud not be possbile for someone to assume them selves with someone else's number. How ever it is possbile, that a stalker has done an unauthorised ESN change onto 'Johns' prepaid line (if it is prepaid). Or he may simple know or have met 'John', and managed to get hold of his phone.

nzbnw

spazz

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Reply # 96668 24-Nov-2007 00:11

Cheers for the help mate, very useful :)

http://walkingisoverrated.com

ajobbins

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Reply # 96704 24-Nov-2007 13:16

Or possibly the simplist explanation. John is really the stalker, and was sending the original texts from another phone.

sbiddle

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Reply # 96706 24-Nov-2007 13:26

Spoofing the sender of a TXT message with somebody else's number is very simple to do - ie I can easily send a message to somebody and use a 3rd party phone number as the sender of the message. Contacting Telecom (or other telco if it's not a Telecom issue) is the best thing to do if you ever get dodgy calls or TXT's.

freitasm

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Reply # 96707 24-Nov-2007 13:28

The calback number being long and odd could be the stalker was using one of the many web-based SMS services to spoof the sender's phone number?

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