I need to find suspected stalkerware installed on my android. nothing free is finding it.

[samavi]

I need to find suspected stalkerware installed on my android. nothing is finding it, or i should say nothing free is finding it. i know it’s there because of other things going on. so that is my question, i just have the free version, i think security cloud. if i purchase a paid version, will it be able to find it?

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Hello @samavi,

Welcome!

Please provide: 

1. Android version & build?
2. Is Kaspersky Internet Security free currently stalled? If “yes”, please advise the version?
3. Which stalkerware do you think is installed?
4. Why do you think stalkerware is installed, what  is unusual about the phone’s “responses, behaviours, other applications, activity, performance”, please provide a video of the issue & images of the issue?
5. Have you taken any remedial steps? If “yes” please provide full information?
6. Is the phone critiacal data backed up on a regular basis?

Please post back?

Thank you🙏

Resources:

What’s wrong with “legal” commercial spyware

KISA

 

 

[samavi]

hi and thank you for responding.

i am using security cloud on my pc. i do not have it currently on my android because i’ve tried all of the different brands, once they didn’t work i just uninstalled them.

i have 3 phones and i think all have whatever it is that he is putting on them. all the typical symptoms, phone hot, battery dying, mobile data being eaten up. on top of alot of personal things such as behavior of the person, things they say, how they know this and that and locations on my google maps that are very odd. also google sent me an email the day i think it was installed on one of my phones and it was a strange email. they locked my account, something i had no idea that that existed them doing so, and said that something i was trying to do was against their policies and didn’t explain anything and they wont either even after trying to contact them. i think a week later i attempted to log onto it and they let me on with a some sort of “congrats you got your account back” that day i got the email the person suspected came in and told me someone was calling me and then left the room after saying that. both times i looked at my phone and nobody was calling. so that’s to sum up why i think that there is stalkerware on my phone. one of them.

2nd phone there was an odd location google maps said i was and i clearly was nowhere near there and it just so happens this same person frequents that street. i’ve changed all my passwords on every google account and it just keeps happening so it’s not that they possibly only have my google account password. they are in my phones somehow.

 

1. android version 9  PPBS29.73-81-2
2.  8.1.0 N5002L-TC-OG0-MV01601-07

Cant find the 3rd phone at the moment.

remedies tried are resetting the phone. changed all passwords on everything.installed a number of virus and sypware and adware detectors and none found anything. these are all just free apps though which i believe dont do much of anything.

back up. i never really understood this. i have the setting on yes to back up everything but i dont know how or when or where to go if i needed it.

 

[samavi]

also, there is  3rd directory on one of the phones that is off limits. usually there is an internal and external storage. well this phone has 2 on the internal and i can’t get to anything on there. its not the root, because that is under the other internal storage.

and also, i have no idea what he is using as stalkerware. the very first one he installed on my phone years ago was trackview. well that one was easy, i found it myself and all the videos of me that were being stored on it. well he’s gotten better at choices of things to use so i can’t find it

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Hello  @samavi, 
You're welcome!
➡ Regarding the Android versions, go to (Phone) Settings, select "About" or "About device".... The information we need is "Android version"  please?⬅

• (1) I don't know the country you are in (& don't want to know), however, if you believe you're being stalked, it's important to report any such activity to police. If something were to happen, an existing police report, gives all authorities much stronger "powers" to protect you. 
• (2) Are all Androids protected with any of the folIowing: 

Fingerprint authentication, facial recognition, pin codes?

• (3) Google: is Location History on? 
• (4) Is a vpn installed on the Androids?
• (5) Is Kaspersky Security Cloud licensed or free? 
• (6) Re “resetting the phone”, does that mean a factory reset?
• (7) Do any of Androids have root access granted? 
• (8) On the Windows device, is a Password Manager installed and used?

Please let me know?

Thank you🙏

***Edit: I’ve just seen your additional post, I will repond to that in due course***

[samavi]

you said “1. android version and build” that’s what i gave you. Android version 9 and 8.1.0

the police aren’t going to do anything about it but thanks for the advice.

1. pin codes
2. yes
3. no
4. free
5. yes, factory reset
6. no
7. yes

[samavi]

and thank you for the 2 resources but i already had been to and read both today. 😆

[samavi]

can’t really report to the police about stalkerware on my phone if i can’t find it, if i find it , of course i’m filing a report . that’s why i am here asking this question.

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Hello  @samavi, 

Stalking is a reportable offence, it’s not necessary to show/prove some software is involved. 

A factory reset will revert any device to “as shipped”, i.e remove everything other than what was on the device the day you purchased.

(on Androids) KIS is the software that’s installed, all licensed Kaspersky software offers more protection (obviously). 

Thank you🙏

 

[Berny]

@samavi

Additionally please see this : https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/stalkerware-spouseware/26292/

[samavi]

resetting DOES NOT always remove spyware installed. alot of times it doesn’t, actually. i know this  from experience, unfortunately. and has not worked more times than it has with mine.

 

if being stalked is only taking place through a phone, then i’d say it would be beneficial if you had proof. can’t really just say “ i think  there is...” how many people would be filing a report that thought that would be overwhelming . There are a ton of things that are reportable offences. but that’s just it, reportable, filed, bye bye. you have a better chance if you can prove what youre saying. much better.

 

so my question was will the paid version be able to find stalkerware spyware installed on my phone? Are there times when you cannot detect it and how often is that?

[Berny]

so my question was will the paid version be able to find stalkerware spyware installed on my

Personally i fear not.
Maybe K-Lab Technical Support (*) could provide additional assistance to fix your  issue.

(*) Only for Kaspersky’s paid products customers

[Flood and Flood's wife]

so my question was will the paid version be able to find stalkerware spyware installed on my phone? 

@samavi,

According to Kaspersky Technical experts:

quote: 
From: Kaspersky Lab Support, Sent: Friday, 10 January 2020 16:58
✅KIS can detect stalkerware and generates a notification✅
unquote. 

[Flood and Flood's wife]

@samavi, 

Additional:  Kaspersky Coalition The state of stalkerware in 2019

[Berny]

@samavi
Your question : “if i purchase a paid version, will it be able to find it? “

To avoid any confusion and misunderstand please allow me an additional clarification on my post above.

From "Support Kaspersky" :
“All Kaspersky trial products are fully functional ,
however when a trial expires when a trial expires databases will not be updates".

Taking this in consideration  :

1) If a Kaspersky trial version doesn't detect an object,
the full paid version will as well not detect this object.

2) If a Kaspersky trial version wrongly consider an object as a  FP,
the full paid version will as well wrongly  consider  the same object as a FP.

Also , K-Lab is continually  fine-tuning 1 and 2 in the Database definitions
 

[Flood and Flood's wife]

@samavi,

Advice from Kaspersky Technical experts, Saturday, 11 January 2020 16:48 

quote:

KIS (free) detects stalkerware via manual scan feature, notifications of detections are displayed. 

KIS (licensed) detects stalkerware via real-time protection feaure, notifications of detections are displayed. 

unquote

Thank you