Hiding your number in a txt message

spahndirge

Yes, I know what you're thinking, no I am not an assholes who wants to **** with someone's head.

One of my friends is getting text messages from an ex, I think. There is no number on the txt messages. All I want to know is that is it possible to send text messages without your number on them?

ps - the ex is not living in ireland, if that makes any difference

Mr E

Yes, its possible. You can forge SMS message headers the same way you can forge email headers (a common trick of spammers and virii muppets). I'm sure there are some anonymous SMS sending websites out there.

spahndirge

Thanks for the info. I take it that you don't have to be very technically minded to do it?

The Corinthian

Originally posted by spahndirge
Thanks for the info. I take it that you don't have to be very technically minded to do it?

Depends on how you do it. If you go through a third party service that uses a Web form, not really.

Of course you could do it by sending the raw data to a GSM modem using the AT+CMGS command in PDU format. That would be a little technically all right...

spahndirge

Thanks for the info, one last question.....do you know if many people do that and is it widely avaiable? (send blank messages through a web form)

I don't think the person in question has enough knowledge about modem commands to do it through a modem.

The reason I'm asking is because the last thing I want to do is give my friend the wrong info and then go ape**** at the ex for something that could be a mistake.

The Corinthian

I don't think it's common, but that's more opinion as I don't read any of the crap that goes through our gateway TBH.

If (s)he is sending them via a Web form then they are almost certainly paying for the service or abusing a service that their employer is paying for. So you would have to ask are they willing to pay or is their company doing something with SMS. If so on either, then perhaps.

n1ck

I thought if you put #31# before the number it came up as no number but that may only be for calls.

leef23

there is a way of Hiding your number in a txt message by using your mobile one of the mates showed me how to do it before but can't remember for the life of me how he did it.
i'll try find out for ya

spahndirge

Originally posted by leef23
there is a way of Hiding your number in a txt message by using your mobile one of the mates showed me how to do it before but can't remember for the life of me how he did it.
i'll try find out for ya

Thanks anyway, but I just wanted to try and find out a little info about it. I don't really want to know how to do it.

billy the squid

are the messages that are being received long or short?
Do both people have nokia phones?

The reason I ask is that you can send a short message using the business card feture on nokia phones. the recipient has to have a nokia phone to do this. To find out who is sending you the business cards just put the sim card into a non nokia phone that does not recognise the nokia sms commands. it will show the messae as gobble-de-gook and will show you the number it came from.

otron

Originally posted by leef23
there is a way of Hiding your number in a txt message by using your mobile one of the mates showed me how to do it before but can't remember for the life of me how he did it.
i'll try find out for ya

This isnt true. There is no way to fake or alter in any way the source address of any SMS sent from a phone. The only way to do this would be to clone somone elses SIM, which Im sure is something that requires specialist equipment.

These messages would be coming through a foreign SMSC which has some form of gateway connected to the Net.

Out of interest (assuming its an older Nokia phone), what is the originating message centre number? (go into message details and it should be in there).

EricM

not only is it possible to hide the number but its possible to fake the number to make the txt look like it came from anyone you want

me and some friends have been having great fun with this since christmas when i discovered how to do it

Doublezero8

A senders number or a blank number can appear on a text through various websites and other means

One of the easist ways i have seen this done is on a nokia phone where if you save
text as a reminder and then send it via sms it will show blank on the receivers end providing its another nokia phone .

The thing to remember is these are only being spoofed . If you contact your mobile operator with the time you received the messages they can trace it and tell you exactly what number the messages was sent from.

Lainey

if they can trace private numbers then i'm sure they can trace messages.. i wonder if you had someones number saved in your phone and you got one of these spoof messages 'from' this number will the name of the person come up..??? maybe you know ericm

EricM

Originally posted by Lainey
if they can trace private numbers then i'm sure they can trace messages.. i wonder if you had someones number saved in your phone and you got one of these spoof messages 'from' this number will the name of the person come up..??? maybe you know ericm

yes to the reciever the spoof messages appear exactly as if it was real, if the reciever has that persons number in the phonebook it will show the name as it usually does. in addition, the spoof messages can be sent from a name (even if its not in your phonebook) and it will show the name as the sender.

private numbers can be traced because turning your number off just tells the phone company not to show your number to the reciever, it doesnt stop the number from actually being transmitted. without cooperation (or hacking) of a telephone exchange its not possible to fake the caller id on voice calls.

BrianD

What happens if you attempt to reply to the message? Does any number appear?

I know that many of the SMS companies that do bulk SMS broadcasts can 'force' changes to the header data so when the recipient views it appears to come from "My Company" (Or whatever).

In the UK, you can send anon text messages afaik. I don't believe that there is a simple way for the ordinary man or woman on the street to send anon text messages via an ordinary handset on an Irish network.

not only is it possible to hide the number but its possible to fake the number to make the txt look like it came from anyone you want

Eric would you like to elaborate on this statement? While you may not want to give away trade secrets, perhaps you can state wheter you use an ordinary handset or software etc.

aphex™

You can send anonymous txt's on the top left from this page. Not sure if its the same thing that person is doing though.

irishgeo

Originally posted by EricM
not only is it possible to hide the number but its possible to fake the number to make the txt look like it came from anyone you want

me and some friends have been having great fun with this since christmas when i discovered how to do it

tell us more. i could have loads of fun with this.

The Corinthian

Originally posted by aphex™
You can send anonymous txt's on the top left from this page. Not sure if its the same thing that person is doing though.

I would imagine that is what both leef23 and EricM were talking about. Other than going through a third party relay (be it using a WAP, SMS or a midlet over HTTP), I don’t think there’s any handset that natively gives the option to mask the MO (although it’s possible that a Symbian based phone could have a application installed that would give you this option) and I’ve never heard of any publicly accessible network instruction that will allow this.

Nonetheless, please note the operator and/or service provider can still very easily trace your real number in that situation. And faced with a complaint, trust me, they will.

otron

Originally posted by EricM
not only is it possible to hide the number but its possible to fake the number to make the txt look like it came from anyone you want

Im assuming your doing this based on some Internet based gateway?

Its not possible to do this from a phone...

BrianD

The Wondertext service is still traceable. All they do is relay your message through their system. If you break their rules they will be back to you.

There is an issue with the registration of pre-paid phones. Their should be some code of practice or legal requirement in place that the owner must register within a certain timeframe or the service is cancelled. Of course this won't stop people giving false details.

While people may feel they are anonymous using a prepaid phone it can be pretty easy to identify the user/owner if needed. For example, Top up using an ATM, credit or debit card and you have linked yourself to a bank account and therefore a name and address.