Phone Cloning

Phone cloning is the process of making it possible for the user of a cloned phone to make calls from an original phone. In this case, all calling charges will be paid by the owner of the original phone.

This means that every time the owner of cloned phone makes a call, it appear to be coming from the original phone. Phone cloning is an illegal activity in the United States. This is why the Federal Communication Commission has banned the general use, ownership or manufacturing of the cloning equipment since 1998. In the United Kingdom, phone cloning is an illegal activity also. Phone cloning has remained relatively ineffective in some cases because of the presence of a radio fingerprint which is very unique to each and every cell phone. Any great changes between radio fingerprint and ESN alerts the cellular company to carry out an audit in order to discover the interference.

Ways of Doing Phone Cloning

A large number of mobile phones can easily be cloned. Cloning is achieved by placing a computer chip into the phone which is to be cloned. The chip makes it possible for the electronic serial number (ESN) to be transformed.  The ESN is the one which is transmitted to the mobile company so as to determine the legitimacy of the mobile phone user. So cloning aims at modifying this ESN and the phone number makes it possible for malicious calls to be made.

Phone cloning has been a great success on CDMA (code division multiple access) while it has been proved to be harder on GSM (Global System Mobile Communication). The latter system of communication is used in a wider scale across the world. Now the only remaining technique of cloning the phones operating on GSM is via cloning SIM cards. The main reason for that is because the GSM phones do not have both the MIN and the ESN which are mainly targeted. Instead it has IMEI number.

Ways of Obtaining the ESN and MIN

There are two major ways of getting access to the ESN and mobile identification number (MIN). The first one is eavesdropping on the mobile company network or alternatively, you can crack that company’s system. The two methods are enough for the case of CDMA system of communication.

Cloning the GSM Phones

In this case, you must remove the SIM card from the phone to be cloned first. Then place a small device in between the handset and the SIM card to perform the function of copying the secret code. This action can only be done on those phones which can accept an extended battery. Now, instead of using that extended battery, you use the normal size battery. On the extra space you install your Kopy Kat. The device will then effectively record the operations between the handset and the switching office owned by the mobile company.

*This article is intended to know your enemy and thereby protect yourself from being a victim of phone cloning. If you know the process and your phone’s  vulnerabilities, you can better prepare a defence against this illegal act.

This post is written by John Lewis and he works at PriceCollate as a writer. You can visit pricecollate to find and compare various type of casual dress shoes for men at great prices.

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3 COMMENTS

  1. I’d just like to add that this article is mainly about how to protect yourself from being a victim of phone cloning. Not as an encouragement to phone clone. If you know how it’s done, you can protect yourself and know the signs. Know your enemy to gain the upper hand . . . Also, I hope that phone producers can glean valuable info from this post to install measures to put stumbling blocks in the way of these open vulnerabilities that are stressing out targeted phone users.
    Sometimes the only way to gain attention and cause action to be taken on these lapse vulnerabilities is not to send emails that are mostly ignored or replied to with vague automated responses, but to point out the processes used by unscrupulous individuals taking advantage of the average Joe mobile user – i.e you and me.

    • This sounds like the craziest thing a black hat hacker would do! Great article. I had never heard of this before!

      Mind linking to some sources that have instructions on this process? JK :iPhone:

  2. I also never heard of phone cloning before. Glad to learn about it. It makes us aware that such situations can happen. Thanks to your great article. Will shared this with friends!

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