Michael Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 I have a question about the Telegram Messenger app. I have been in a chat group on Telegram for a while now, where politics is discussed. There is one particular person who I do not see eye to eye on in the chat group, as regards to the war in Ukraine. We've had several heated discussions on the issue and he resorted to being rude and even threatening me. Now he has threatened me by saying in an indirect way that he would hack my phone. My question is, can my phone be hacked through a telegram app? Similar to a lot of people, I have many personal things saved on my phone. Like various files, photos and other information saved on my phone. Is it possible for him to hack my phone through telegram and gain access to these personal things on my phone? I mean he probably has my phone number, because people can usually see other people's numbers on their profile when they join a chat group on Telegram, unless you choose to hide the number. I know this guy is really good at computing, as that is what I have been told by others. But can he really hack my phone through Telegram? Maybe I am naive, but I expected such apps to be very safe as far as these things are concerned. An answer to this question and any advice would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber CaaC (John)+ Posted June 19, 2023 Subscriber Share Posted June 19, 2023 14 minutes ago, Michael said: I have a question about the Telegram Messenger app. I have been in a chat group on Telegram for a while now, where politics is discussed. There is one particular person who I do not see eye to eye on in the chat group, as regards to the war in Ukraine. We've had several heated discussions on the issue and he resorted to being rude and even threatening me. Now he has threatened me by saying in an indirect way that he would hack my phone. My question is, can my phone be hacked through a telegram app? Similar to a lot of people, I have many personal things saved on my phone. Like various files, photos and other information saved on my phone. Is it possible for him to hack my phone through telegram and gain access to these personal things on my phone? I mean he probably has my phone number, because people can usually see other people's numbers on their profile when they join a chat group on Telegram, unless you choose to hide the number. I know this guy is really good at computing, as that is what I have been told by others. But can he really hack my phone through Telegram? Maybe I am naive, but I expected such apps to be very safe as far as these things are concerned. An answer to this question and any advice would be greatly appreciated. File a Report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center If you are the victim of online or internet-enabled crime, file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) as soon as possible. Crime reports are used for investigative and intelligence purposes. Rapid reporting can also help support the recovery of lost funds. Visit ic3.gov for more information, including tips and information about current crime trends. Contact Your Local FBI Field Office If you or your organization is the victim of a network intrusion, data breach, or ransomware attack, contact your nearest FBI field office or report it at tips.fbi.gov. Phone Hacking - How to Remove a Hacker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MUFC Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 19 minutes ago, Michael said: I have a question about the Telegram Messenger app. I have been in a chat group on Telegram for a while now, where politics is discussed. There is one particular person who I do not see eye to eye on in the chat group, as regards to the war in Ukraine. We've had several heated discussions on the issue and he resorted to being rude and even threatening me. Now he has threatened me by saying in an indirect way that he would hack my phone. My question is, can my phone be hacked through a telegram app? Similar to a lot of people, I have many personal things saved on my phone. Like various files, photos and other information saved on my phone. Is it possible for him to hack my phone through telegram and gain access to these personal things on my phone? I mean he probably has my phone number, because people can usually see other people's numbers on their profile when they join a chat group on Telegram, unless you choose to hide the number. I know this guy is really good at computing, as that is what I have been told by others. But can he really hack my phone through Telegram? Maybe I am naive, but I expected such apps to be very safe as far as these things are concerned. An answer to this question and any advice would be greatly appreciated. Say you know some hackers from the deep dark web. If he tries anything, tell him you'll track him down and smash his kneecaps to bits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Tommy Posted June 19, 2023 Moderator Share Posted June 19, 2023 Telegram, huh? I had that installed like once or twice on my phone. Couldn't wait to get rid of it. It's not a coincidence that some of the most absurd conspiracy theories mostly end up being Telegram screenshots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted June 19, 2023 Author Share Posted June 19, 2023 I don't know if my phone has been hacked or not yet. Just asking if he could hack it and gain access to personal files and photos? One would expect apps like Telegram to protect you from being hacked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber nudge+ Posted June 20, 2023 Subscriber Share Posted June 20, 2023 Do you have 2FA set up already? If not, do it immediately, it makes any hacking attempts much harder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber nudge+ Posted June 20, 2023 Subscriber Share Posted June 20, 2023 Also, for the future - you can hide your phone number in Telegram, just go to the privacy and security settings. Do you have Telegram desktop too? It's much more likely to get malware on your PC than on your phone, tbh. Also, the usual stuff - don't download shit you don't know. Don't click links you are not sure about. Etc etc etc. There are other ways to get hacked like SIM swap or cloning, but that's probably only worth it if you're a high profile person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted June 20, 2023 Author Share Posted June 20, 2023 3 hours ago, nudge said: Also, for the future - you can hide your phone number in Telegram, just go to the privacy and security settings. Do you have Telegram desktop too? It's much more likely to get malware on your PC than on your phone, tbh. Also, the usual stuff - don't download shit you don't know. Don't click links you are not sure about. Etc etc etc. There are other ways to get hacked like SIM swap or cloning, but that's probably only worth it if you're a high profile person. Hi @nudge, thanks for your reply. No, I do not have 2FA set-up. Yeah, I have hidden my number recently on Telegram, but I had my number up on that Telegram chat group for over a year now, so anyone who wanted to know my number, will probably already have it. No, I do not have Telegram desktop, I just have the Telegram app on my smart phone. Yeah, I usually never click on links that people post on the chat. From what I remember, I have only ever clicked the links of people I trust and know well on this particular Telegram chat group I am in. I have heard of SIM swap or cloning. Isn't this when they basically get control of my number and all text messages or calls sent to that number, meant for me, would go to the hacker instead. I believe it also allows them to potentially gain any access to other accounts that I have registered with that particular number. To be honest, the number I use on this particular Telegram chat, is not a number I use for anything else. I bought the SIM card, with this number, only specifically for registering and downloading this particular Telegram app on my phone, so I could join this Telegram Chat group. So I don't believe they could do much with this number if they cloned it, please correct me if I am wrong on this. I am primarily concerned about the files on my phone and the personal family photos on my phone. I've never uploaded any of these onto Telegram. It just so happens that these files and photos are on the same phone as my Telegram Messenger app. So I am just wondering, is there any way that they could gain access to my files and photos? That is my greatest concern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber Mel81x+ Posted June 20, 2023 Subscriber Share Posted June 20, 2023 15 hours ago, Michael said: I have a question about the Telegram Messenger app. I have been in a chat group on Telegram for a while now, where politics is discussed. There is one particular person who I do not see eye to eye on in the chat group, as regards to the war in Ukraine. We've had several heated discussions on the issue and he resorted to being rude and even threatening me. Now he has threatened me by saying in an indirect way that he would hack my phone. My question is, can my phone be hacked through a telegram app? Similar to a lot of people, I have many personal things saved on my phone. Like various files, photos and other information saved on my phone. Is it possible for him to hack my phone through telegram and gain access to these personal things on my phone? I mean he probably has my phone number, because people can usually see other people's numbers on their profile when they join a chat group on Telegram, unless you choose to hide the number. I know this guy is really good at computing, as that is what I have been told by others. But can he really hack my phone through Telegram? Maybe I am naive, but I expected such apps to be very safe as far as these things are concerned. An answer to this question and any advice would be greatly appreciated. No. Just block him and remove your telephone number from shared content on it. You'll be just fine. Let's put it this way, to hack you he has to hack Telegram and that is harder than it sounds even with ninja level skills. It's safer that a Swiss Bank when it comes to data privacy unless you go clicking links and opening content posted by other users. P.S. The only reason I asked you to remove your number from the profile share is not because I think he'll use it via Telegram but who knows what other services are out there with potentially unsafe backtracking that could be used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber nudge+ Posted June 20, 2023 Subscriber Share Posted June 20, 2023 15 minutes ago, Michael said: Hi @nudge, thanks for your reply. No, I do not have 2FA set-up. Yeah, I have hidden my number recently on Telegram, but I had my number up on that Telegram chat group for over a year now, so anyone who wanted to know my number, will probably already have it. No, I do not have Telegram desktop, I just have the Telegram app on my smart phone. Yeah, I usually never click on links that people post on the chat. From what I remember, I have only ever clicked the links of people I trust and know well on this particular Telegram chat group I am in. I have heard of SIM swap or cloning. Isn't this when they basically get control of my number and all text messages or calls sent to that number, meant for me, would go to the hacker instead. I believe it also allows them to potentially gain any access to other accounts that I have registered with that particular number. To be honest, the number I use on this particular Telegram chat, is not a number I use for anything else. I bought the SIM card, with this number, only specifically for registering and downloading this particular Telegram app on my phone, so I could join this Telegram Chat group. So I don't believe they could do much with this number if they cloned it, please correct me if I am wrong on this. I am primarily concerned about the files on my phone and the personal family photos on my phone. I've never uploaded any of these onto Telegram. It just so happens that these files and photos are on the same phone as my Telegram Messenger app. So I am just wondering, is there any way that they could gain access to my files and photos? That is my greatest concern. Set up 2 factor authentication for Telegram. And not only Telegram - all your email, messenger, social media accounts etc should have 2FA enabled to make them safer, always. As for your phone - theoretically, any device can be hacked, but realistically, it requires much knowledge and skills and costs way too much resources for anyone to do it just for fun, so unless you're some kind of whistleblower, journalist, government employee or someone else with very important and valuable sensitive information and are being targeted by a state-level actor, I am sure you will be fine. Just block that idiot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted June 20, 2023 Author Share Posted June 20, 2023 18 minutes ago, Mel81x said: No. Just block him and remove your telephone number from shared content on it. You'll be just fine. Let's put it this way, to hack you he has to hack Telegram and that is harder than it sounds even with ninja level skills. It's safer that a Swiss Bank when it comes to data privacy unless you go clicking links and opening content posted by other users. P.S. The only reason I asked you to remove your number from the profile share is not because I think he'll use it via Telegram but who knows what other services are out there with potentially unsafe backtracking that could be used. Thanks for the feedback. He is actually someone who is quite a senior figure with clout, who is very good with computers and he has had very high paying jobs. It's just that he is not a very nice individual at all, as many in that specific Telegram group will testify to. But it's good to know from you that Telegram is extremely hard to hack. I guess it's difficult to know if someone has already been hacked, with files or photos stolen. I wonder if there is anyway to know? I have admittedly clicked on links of others who've posted on the Telegram group over the past year, but it's people who I trusted. I am pretty sure I didn't click other links sent by those I don't know well, it's not something I'd usually do. Good point about the phone number, I've now blocked others from being able to see it on Telegram, I did it a few days ago. 12 minutes ago, nudge said: Set up 2 factor authentication for Telegram. And not only Telegram - all your email, messenger, social media accounts etc should have 2FA enabled to make them safer, always. As for your phone - theoretically, any device can be hacked, but realistically, it requires much knowledge and skills and costs way too much resources for anyone to do it just for fun, so unless you're some kind of whistleblower, journalist, government employee or someone else with very important and valuable sensitive information and are being targeted by a state-level actor, I am sure you will be fine. Just block that idiot. I will start to set 2FA up on all my social media accounts, thanks for the advice. Well this guy is actually very skilled and knowledgeable when it comes to computers. Fortunately, I am not someone who holds state level sensitive information. As far as I can see, the main reason such an individual would attempt to hack my phone, would be out of spite, due to our online interactions. I have blocked him and so have a few others in that particular Telegram chat group. Needless to say, he is not a nice individual, despite the particular level of clout that he holds. But thanks again for your kind reassurance and thoughtful recommendations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber Mel81x+ Posted June 21, 2023 Subscriber Share Posted June 21, 2023 On 20/06/2023 at 21:08, Michael said: Thanks for the feedback. He is actually someone who is quite a senior figure with clout, who is very good with computers and he has had very high paying jobs. It's just that he is not a very nice individual at all, as many in that specific Telegram group will testify to. But it's good to know from you that Telegram is extremely hard to hack. I guess it's difficult to know if someone has already been hacked, with files or photos stolen. I wonder if there is anyway to know? I have admittedly clicked on links of others who've posted on the Telegram group over the past year, but it's people who I trusted. I am pretty sure I didn't click other links sent by those I don't know well, it's not something I'd usually do. Good point about the phone number, I've now blocked others from being able to see it on Telegram, I did it a few days ago. There really is no way to know unless you lo-jack your phone and it hasn't reached there yet. As for senior figure with clout, I would still not worry. Like you said it was an online disagreement and if he had this in his repertoire I'd also wager someone else would have fallen victim by now. The beauty behind the concept of hacking in general is that people with clout are generally the last ones you should worry about because they have the most to lose. I'd even say continue to debate on Telegram or whatever platform. It's debate, theres bound to be disagreements and the tech universe has provided you with enough in your arsenal (that you are also now aware of) to remedy a situation where someone is being a grade A prick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Gonzo Posted June 21, 2023 Share Posted June 21, 2023 On 19/06/2023 at 15:15, CaaC (John) said: File a Report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center If you are the victim of online or internet-enabled crime, file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) as soon as possible. Crime reports are used for investigative and intelligence purposes. Rapid reporting can also help support the recovery of lost funds. Visit ic3.gov for more information, including tips and information about current crime trends. Contact Your Local FBI Field Office If you or your organization is the victim of a network intrusion, data breach, or ransomware attack, contact your nearest FBI field office or report it at tips.fbi.gov. Phone Hacking - How to Remove a Hacker Will the FBI give a shit about a hacking attempt done on someone who's not in the US though? I feel like they won't do much for a guy reporting online crime from the UK, tbh. On 19/06/2023 at 14:57, Michael said: I have a question about the Telegram Messenger app. I have been in a chat group on Telegram for a while now, where politics is discussed. There is one particular person who I do not see eye to eye on in the chat group, as regards to the war in Ukraine. We've had several heated discussions on the issue and he resorted to being rude and even threatening me. Now he has threatened me by saying in an indirect way that he would hack my phone. My question is, can my phone be hacked through a telegram app? Similar to a lot of people, I have many personal things saved on my phone. Like various files, photos and other information saved on my phone. Is it possible for him to hack my phone through telegram and gain access to these personal things on my phone? I mean he probably has my phone number, because people can usually see other people's numbers on their profile when they join a chat group on Telegram, unless you choose to hide the number. I know this guy is really good at computing, as that is what I have been told by others. But can he really hack my phone through Telegram? Maybe I am naive, but I expected such apps to be very safe as far as these things are concerned. An answer to this question and any advice would be greatly appreciated. I don't have anything to add other than what @nudge said about 2FA, which is good to have on... basically anything that you can have 2FA turned on for, you probably should. And changing your passwords to things (I know this can be a pain in the arse, a massive massive massive pain) fairly regularly is a pretty good practice. I try to change my passwords to important things like my email/banks once a year because I once had some dickhead get into my email and steal my spotify account and some other account and it was massively annoying to secure my email and get those accounts back. ... the only thing I can really add is what a fucking arsehole. Can't handle debate so he threatens you, what a small and pathetic dickhead. I hope that absolute bastard gets painful genital warts. But I think turning on 2FA and hiding your phone number is probably enough to protect you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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