Cell phone hacked? These are typical signs

Internet crime is a growing problem: mainly because many people don’t recognize the signs that a cell phone has been hacked. To prevent this from happening to you, we have summarized the typical signs of a hacked cell phone for you

Typical signs of a hacked Android phone

Hackers often have an easy time on phones with an Android operating system. The operating system is open and unauthorized apps from dubious sources quickly end up on the phone. But even apps from the controlled Google Play Store are not always secure.

• First and foremost: block your device from apps from unknown sources. You can do this in the settings under “Security”. Only download apps from the Google Play Store or known and secure sites.

• If it is already too late and you have the feeling that you have been hacked, you should first of all take a look at your cell phone bill. Malicious apps often send expensive text messages or make calls to premium numbers unnoticed. You can block access by third-party providers via your mobile phone provider

• Control the data usage of your apps. If you find apps in the settings under “Mobile data” or “Data usage” that consume a particularly large amount of data for no apparent reason, you should be suspicious. Data could be sent on to hackers here

• You should also check your money and email account on your cell phone. If you notice any unauthorized access or unusual movements, change your passwords and have your cell phone checked by an antivirus program. If in doubt, you should even block bank accounts

• A noticeably slower performance can also be a sign of a hack. Malware often runs as an invisible process in the background, but it gnaws away at the overall performance of the phone.

• As mentioned in the previous point, malware has an impact on performance – this also applies to the battery. If it suddenly drains much faster or gets particularly warm, your cell phone could be infected by a virus.

• You could even detect a hack when making a call – if calls are simply cut off more frequently or strange noises are heard on the line.

• If you find apps on your phone that you haven’t downloaded yourself, you should also consider a hack. Adware or other malicious apps are often downloaded

• When surfing, do many websites suddenly look completely different than usual? This could also be a sign of a virus that is affecting the data exchange between a website’s servers and your cell phone.

• The most obvious sign of a virus or hack: pop-ups. If windows suddenly open that do not appear to come from a specific and reputable app, you should be careful.

• With antivirus programs, it is easy to detect malicious apps and, if necessary, free your cell phone from the clutches of hackers. One recommendation from our editorial team is the reliable “Trend Micro Mobile Security” service. Here you can find the complete test report on antivirus apps for Android