Yes, it's definitely possible for someone to spy on your text messages and it's certainly something you should be aware of – this is a potential way for a hacker to gain a lot of private information about you – including accessing PIN codes sent by websites used to verify your identity (such as online banking).
Android phones can get infected by merely receiving a picture via text message, according to research published Monday. This is likely the biggest smartphone flaw ever discovered.
Text scams (also known as “smishing”) are among the most common tactics scammers use to steal personal information. Last year alone, scammers sent out 87.8 billion spam text messages and defrauded victims of over $10 billion [*]. If you've received a suspicious text, don't respond, click on links, or call any numbers.
No they can't because the text messages on IOS and Android are encrypted by default. You would have to break that encryption and then also break the cyber security of the cell phone the provider is on before that would be possible.
Spam Text Messages and Phishing
Scammers send fake text messages to trick you into giving them your personal information — things like your password, account number, or Social Security number. If they get that information, they could gain access to your email, bank, or other accounts.
If you're thinking your iPhone is protected from potential hacks then you're wrong. Even a simple message received on the iPhone could be enough to get your device hacked.
Replying to a random text might not get your phone hacked but it could get you in involved in a scam. In these types of scams, the attacker is hoping that you will respond to their text and get a conversation going. At first, they might not ask you for anything.
Sign in to the Apple ID website (https://appleid.apple.com) and review all the personal and security information in your account to see if there is any information that someone else has added. If you have two-factor authentication turned on, review trusted devices for any devices that you don't recognize.
THE ANSWER
Yes, some scammers are posing as people who have texted the wrong number. Experts recommend you don't respond to texts from strangers — if nothing else, a scammer will know your phone number is active when you reply.
With any spam text messages, you should never reply to them. Doing so confirms to the spammers that you're a real person and a potential target. Sometimes spammers try to trick you into responding by saying, "text STOP to be removed from our mailing list" or something similar.
Will resetting my phone remove hackers? Resetting your phone will remove all files from your phone's internal storage, which should remove the hacker if they're using malware to control your device.
On top of that, popular app developers aren't immune to accusations of watching you through your phone's camera. Generally, however, a stalker would need to install spyware on your device in order to compromise it. Hackers can gain access to your phone physically, through apps, media files, and even emojis.
These messages are spam texts, also known as robotexts. The fact is, most spam texts don't come from another mobile phone. They usually come from a scammer who is sitting behind a computer sending a massive amount of texts from an email address or other messaging account.
Report phone numbers to your carrier
Now that you know how to block text messages, it's also beneficial to report the number as spam to your carrier. You can do this by forwarding the message to 7726 or SPAM. Once you've forwarded the message, your cell phone carrier can investigate the text and number.
Text 7726 to report any spam texts you receive.
Copy and paste the text into a new message, or simply forward the old text on your iPhone or Android phone.
Reply within 30–60 minutes to play it a little cool.
While it's okay to reply later if you're actually busy, purposefully waiting to text somebody might feel disrespectful if you're available. If you had to make the person wait for more than an hour, offer them an apology and explain what kept you from messaging them.
Because text messaging cannot accurately convey tone, emotion, facial expressions, gestures, body language, eye contact, oral speech, or face-to-face conversation, it is likely messages will be misinterpreted or misunderstood. The real meaning of your message gets lost through the medium.
Your iPhone can be hacked, though it isn't very common, and iPhones are safer than Androids. To protect your iPhone, don't click on suspicious links or give out your personal information. If your iPhone has been hacked, you might need to factory reset it or get a replacement.
Reset your iPhone.
Once you log back in with your Apple ID, anything you had synced to iCloud (including your text messages) will be synced back to your iPhone. Resetting your iPhone will get rid of anything shady that's been installed, and any backdoors added by hackers.
Yes, unfortunately, people can access and even control your phone remotely. There are plenty of spyware apps and bugs that let people hack into your phone without you even knowing about it. It's usually through certain links or credentials that hackers do this.
Signs That Someone Has Remote Access to Your Phone
The battery drains quickly even when not in use. Higher data usage than usual. Noises in the background when you're on a phone call. You receive unusual messages, emails, or notifications.