Hotspot hack

[sneamer 0]

Hello to whoever is reading this,

 

I did a mistake, I don't know what I was thinking and usually I wouldn't do it. Random, older guy with his friends on usual place to call taxi stopped me, if he can use my internet to call taxi, because it's so much cheaper and he doesn't have internet connection because he is a tourist. I first didn't want to because I just don't usually risk things like that but he even said that he can give me money so I said it's ok, just do it fast and I let him connect to my new created hotspot, gave him name and password. I was looking all the time at what was he doing, he just called taxi through normal taxi application that I know as well.. but when he was writing down the password, he was mumbling it so maybe some of his friends could connect as well, and I didn't notice it. After that I turned off the hotspot, changed password, restarted phone.. even if it was probably useless. He had new Samsung galaxy S10 and full mobile of applications (like hundreds of them), so he probably knew how to use phone even though he was older. 

 

My question is, is there some harm that he could do within that one minute of connection ? If not him, then somebody else.. just hypothetically, everything within that one minute. 

 

Thank you for answers, I hope you are having a nice day. 

[itman 1,659]

1 hour ago, sneamer said:

gave him name and password.

Err …….. what? Why didn't you simply ask him for the taxi service phone number, you make the connection yourself, and handed the phone to him? Or better yet, you personally made the call to the taxi service. Lucky he just didn't run off with your phone.

Although you changed your password, you also need to change your logon id since he also knows that. If that isn't possible, at least make sure your password is very long in length and securely created; numeric, alpha, upper and lower case, plus a few special characters.

[TomFace 539]

That's how criminals operate...rush rush I need this NOW...here's 5 dollars (or whatever).

Do what itman suggested (use a ID and password as long as your carrier allows, using all different types of characters)...although by now you're probably screwed.

Good luck and learn from your mistake.

Regards,

Tom

[Marcos 5,070]

I don't think that there's anything to be concerned about. Creating a hotspot to share Internet connection does not create a security risk for you, especially given that you shared it for a very short time. It's actually the connecting users who should be concerned about security.

[sneamer 0]

13 hours ago, itman said:

Err …….. what? Why didn't you simply ask him for the taxi service phone number, you make the connection yourself, and handed the phone to him? Or better yet, you personally made the call to the taxi service. Lucky he just didn't run off with your phone.

Although you changed your password, you also need to change your logon id since he also knows that. If that isn't possible, at least make sure your password is very long in length and securely created; numeric, alpha, upper and lower case, plus a few special characters.

Thank you for your reply, @itman , I didn't call, because I'm just studying in this country for 3 months, I do not know the language, almost nobody speaks here in English, and that taxi service just works through app (not saying that it's impossible to call, but they were tourists as well). Normally I wouldn't even stop when they asked me, but I just wasn't thinking rationally after day I had. Trust me, he (older man) wouldn't run away for me with my phone.. I mean, he could try even with his 3 older friends, but the chances.. and also the street was not crowded, not empty, people here would quickly see what is going on and stop him, but he  had suit and everything, he just wouldn't run with his friends with my mobile, that would be very unlikely. 

Your advice about password and name.. you think that he would connect to my hotspot again ? I never create hotspots, that was my first time doing it, I have it even blocked through data saver and that's why I'm asking for help here, because I don't know anything about it. And even if the password and ID remain unchanged (they don't), it's a city with population of 18 milion people, I doubt that I will ever meet him again so I hope that won't be the problem. I'm just curious about things he could and maybe did to my phone by that 1 minute of connection, with my phone safe in my hands. 

 

11 hours ago, TomFace said:

That's how criminals operate...rush rush I need this NOW...here's 5 dollars (or whatever).

Do what itman suggested (use a ID and password as long as your carrier allows, using all different types of characters)...although by now you're probably screwed.

Good luck and learn from your mistake.

Regards,

Tom

Thanks for answer, @TomFace. The password is complicated enough I think, and my hotspot will be off for another couple of years (I didn't use it with any of my phones,.. never). What do you mean that I'm already screwed ? So far nothing happend, signs of my mobile being hacked are not there, for example battery waste, data usage, unknown applications.. I checked my phone with Eset and origina built in antivirus and there was also no problem so far. Can you please give me advice what else should I check ? I really want to be sure.

 

5 hours ago, Marcos said:

I don't think that there's anything to be concerned about. Creating a hotspot to share Internet connection does not create a security risk for you, especially given that you shared it for a very short time. It's actually the connecting users who should be concerned about security.

 

Thank you for response, @Marcos. That's probably the most calming response I could possibly get and I hope that it's like you said. When I was giving him my internet, that's what was running in my head (I heard risks about connecting to unknown Wifi, etc.), but then I realized that I don't have enough knowledge about this topic and maybe some similar scams happend and I just don't know about it. That's why I asked experts here. Hopefully it will be like you said, you definitely know more than I do about this. and if that's what you think, I feel better now. 

[TomFace 539]

 

14 hours ago, TomFace said:

*********although by now you're probably screwed.*******

Criminals and scammers try to act as quickly as possible to enhance their gain before their threat is nullified.

8 hours ago, Marcos said:

I don't think that there's anything to be concerned about. Creating a hotspot to share Internet connection does not create a security risk for you, especially given that you shared it for a very short time. It's actually the connecting users who should be concerned about security.

Marcos is very intelligent about this kind of thing.

I, myself, have my fair share of doubt of the world today. People trying their best to use other people.

I guess you could say I am a pessimist concerning human behavior. I wish you luck.

Regards,

Tom

 

Edited March 25, 2019 by TomFace

[Nightowl 202]

On 3/25/2019 at 1:24 PM, sneamer said:

Thank you for your reply, @itman , I didn't call, because I'm just studying in this country for 3 months, I do not know the language, almost nobody speaks here in English, and that taxi service just works through app (not saying that it's impossible to call, but they were tourists as well). Normally I wouldn't even stop when they asked me, but I just wasn't thinking rationally after day I had. Trust me, he (older man) wouldn't run away for me with my phone.. I mean, he could try even with his 3 older friends, but the chances.. and also the street was not crowded, not empty, people here would quickly see what is going on and stop him, but he  had suit and everything, he just wouldn't run with his friends with my mobile, that would be very unlikely. 

Your advice about password and name.. you think that he would connect to my hotspot again ? I never create hotspots, that was my first time doing it, I have it even blocked through data saver and that's why I'm asking for help here, because I don't know anything about it. And even if the password and ID remain unchanged (they don't), it's a city with population of 18 milion people, I doubt that I will ever meet him again so I hope that won't be the problem. I'm just curious about things he could and maybe did to my phone by that 1 minute of connection, with my phone safe in my hands. 

 

Thanks for answer, @TomFace. The password is complicated enough I think, and my hotspot will be off for another couple of years (I didn't use it with any of my phones,.. never). What do you mean that I'm already screwed ? So far nothing happend, signs of my mobile being hacked are not there, for example battery waste, data usage, unknown applications.. I checked my phone with Eset and origina built in antivirus and there was also no problem so far. Can you please give me advice what else should I check ? I really want to be sure.

 

 

Thank you for response, @Marcos. That's probably the most calming response I could possibly get and I hope that it's like you said. When I was giving him my internet, that's what was running in my head (I heard risks about connecting to unknown Wifi, etc.), but then I realized that I don't have enough knowledge about this topic and maybe some similar scams happend and I just don't know about it. That's why I asked experts here. Hopefully it will be like you said, you definitely know more than I do about this. and if that's what you think, I feel better now. 

Your phone has acted as a router for them , and they are the clients , as for what they have done to your phone I currently have no idea , but the scenario that I have in my mind , that they could just upload or send you some malicious trojan , but they need to have root access to your phone or you need to run it for them or they need to find a way to exploit and run it , but I don't know how fast they would be to do all of that in 3 minutes , unless they have scripts ready for that job

But I don't know if you are an interesting target for some 2 guys to hack you and do bad to you.

Do you feel there is something wrong with your phone after that?