Malicious hackers can redirect your incoming calls and text messages to any number they want, and they don’t need to be a criminal genius to do so. Even friends and family members can forward your incoming calls and messages to know exactly who is trying to contact you, and all it takes is a few seconds of access to your iPhone or wireless account. These secret codes can help unlock them.
To be clear, these dialing codes for your iPhone will not help you detect spying, wiretapping, eavesdropping, or any other type of passive surveillance. There are no secret codes that will be able to see something like that. If you want to uncover these forms of infiltration, you need to solve bigger problems. The codes I show below are for you to be able to determine if your incoming calls or text messages are being intercepted and, if so, correct the situation.
How can they spy on you
Black hats, jealous lovers, and law enforcement definitely have ways to listen in and listen to your phone conversations. For example, exploiting SS7 protocol vulnerabilities in your ISP’s network, using software-defined radio to hijack your LTE calls, installing spyware on your iPhone or forcing you to install spyware unknowingly, or using IMSI interceptors such as stingrays and DRT blocks to person. – attacks in the middle.
Spyware can also be planted on the iPhone to read the target’s text messages. Your iCloud account can also be compromised, allowing an attacker to use a spy web app to read messages. And your SMS and MMS texts can also be tracked by the above mentioned SS7, stingray and DRT box attack vectors.
There are apps that you can use to scan your iPhone for spyware, but they can’t detect everything. Other forms of surveillance are almost impossible to detect in the wild unless you are a government agency or a large company willing to spend thousands or even millions on specialized hardware solutions. However, you can be proactive and use 2G for important calls, or use apps like Signal, FaceTime, Skype, Telegram, or WhatsApp that have end-to-end encryption for audio calls and text messages.
Problem Child: Call Forwarding
Let’s talk about the types of attacks that the following dialing codes help with – call forwarding hacks. Despite what all the viral TikTok and Instagram videos will tell you, you cannot use these codes to detect passive listeners. Now I’m sure you all know what call forwarding is and some of you have probably used it before. I currently use it for my physical sim which gives me a cheap local number.
The main eSIM number I’ve always had uses area code 586, but local numbers in my current area use 582. People look at 586 and think it’s local area code 582 because apparently “58”enough to reassure them. I didn’t get a call because people weren’t paying attention, so now I give them 582 through my physical SIM card, which redirects calls and texts to my main 586 number.
If you don’t need to do any of this, chances are you’ve never set up call forwarding, but someone else might on your behalf.
How your calls and messages can be intercepted
Hackers can easily hack into the online accounts of wireless service provider customers. This disadvantage falls mainly on account holders due to the fact that they have passwords that are easy to guess or easy to crack, they use passwords that they used for different accounts that were previously compromised in a data breach, or got into into phishing or smishing attacks. If you don’t use a strong password, you’re just asking for trouble.
With access to your cell plan account, a hacker or even a family member with access to the account can easily set up call forwarding so that all incoming calls and texts go directly to them. They could even be more stealthy, opting to only forward calls and texts when the user doesn’t answer or isn’t available in an out-of-service zone. In the latter case, the target will still miss the call or text, so the forwarding won’t be as obvious.
An easier way to redirect your calls is to access the device directly, even if just for a moment. They can just go to your Settings app and change some call forwarding rules. Not all wireless providers provide easy access to call forwarding rules in your iPhone’s Phone settings, but most do. An attacker can flip a switch and add their number where needed.
Using shortcodes would be even faster for those targeting your calls and text messages. Within seconds on your iPhone, they can open the Phone app and then use the appropriate shortcode syntax for your carrier to forward calls and texts to their number. Also called feature access codes, quick codes, vertical service codes, star codes, pound codes, and self-service short codes, these short codes are used by all major wireless carriers: AT&T, Sprint (soon to retire), T-Mobile , and Verizon. These codes are even used on business lines like Verizon’s One Talk.
In a newer attack vector, a hacker can use a fake social engineering authorization letter of a professional SMS/MMS marketing application to redirect all your SMS/MMS text messages to them.
Why Someone Will Forward Your Calls and Text Messages
Why would anyone even want to forward your calls and messages?
Well, it could be a family member, like a parent trying to find out what their kids are up to or protecting them from harassment in conversations. The hacker may also be trying to profit from telecom scams, where your calls are redirected to premium rate numbers they charge by the minute.
Someone may also try to access other accounts that you have locked out with 2-Step Verification; this will allow them to receive verification codes by text or phone, even if you don’t know about it. Another reason is long-distance international calls; a hacker can give someone in another country your number and then take the call while you pay the bill.
How You Can Detect Call Forwarding on Your iPhone
There’s an easy solution to find out if someone is forwarding your calls and text messages: go to the Settings app. There, go to “Phone”, then “Forward”. If you have two lines on your iPhone, you can do this for each of them now. If only one switch is disabled in the call forwarding settings per line, you have nothing to worry about. Otherwise, check where the calls are being redirected.
Another way to check is to use the shortcodes for your carrier, which I talked about earlier. Since we only use them to obtain information, they can be called “interrogation”codes. Just dial the code in the Phone app, then press the call button.
*#61# – forwarding on no answer
With the settings polling code *#61# you can see if calls are forwarded to another number when they go unanswered. If “Voice Call Forward”and “Data Call Forward”say they are off, that’s good.
If there are numbers on the list, they may have been entered by someone else, or the voice call number may be your voicemail box number. If there are numbers, a time delay can also be specified, if one is set. To unregister or unregister forwarding on no answer, dial ##61#.
This code will not work for all providers. It is designed for GSM networks such as AT&T and T-Mobile, so it will not work on Verizon Wireless (CDMA network). However, for Verizon, you can try *92 asterisks. To unregister or unregister a forward if Verizon does not answer, try *93.
There are also **61* on Verizon One Talk and *61* on AT&T Collaborate lines.
*#62# – forwarding when unavailable
With the settings request code *#62# you can see if calls or text messages are forwarded to another number when you are not available. If “Voice Call Forward”, “Data Call Forward”and “SMS Call Forward”say they are off, good.
If numbers are given, they may have been put there by someone else. But then again, it could also be your voicemail box number. To unregister or cancel forwarding registration when you are out of range, dial ##62#.
This one works on GSM networks like the first code, so it won’t work on Verizon Wireless. However, on Verizon, you can try the above code to forward unanswered calls. Also available as **62* on Verizon One Talk and *63* on AT&T Collaborate lines.
*#67# – call forward on busy or reject
With the settings query code *#67# you can see if calls are forwarded to another number when the line is busy or you reject the call. If “Voice Call Forward”and “Data Call Forward”say they are disabled, you are safe.
If numbers are given, they may have been put there by someone else. Again, they can also be your voicemail box number. To unregister or cancel forwarding when busy or declined, dial ##67#.
Like other codes, this one only works on GSM networks. For Verizon Wireless, you can try the *90 star code. To unregister or unregister a forward if Verizon does not answer, try *91.
There is also a code **67* for Verizon One Talk and *67* for AT&T Collaborate lines.
*#21# – unconditional forwarding
With the settings request code *#21# you can see if something is forwarded to another number. This can be voice calls, data calls, text messages, and other data. This will be call forwarding for your entire account, not conditional call forwarding rules. If everything says “Disabled”, you’re done.
If numbers are given, they may have been put there by someone else. And yes, some of them can also be your voicemail box number. To unregister or cancel forwarding when you are out of range, dial ##21#.
This code works for GSM networks. For Verizon Wireless, see number 6 below for all redirects. There is also a code **21* for Verizon One Talk and *21* for AT&T Collaborate lines.
*#004# – conditional redirect
Next, we have the *#004# settings polling short code, which allows you to see all forms of conditional call forwarding on your line. If everything says “Disabled”, great.
If there are numbers on the list, they may have been entered by someone else, or it may be your voicemail box number. To cancel and unregister all conditional forwarding rules, dial ##004#.
This code is for GSM network operators, so it will not work on Verizon Wireless. But on Verizon, you can try *42 or *41. To unregister or unregister a forward if Verizon does not answer, try *43.
*#002# – forward all calls
Finally, you can see all forms of call forwarding on your line using the settings polling short code *#002#. If it says “Disabled”everywhere, you have nothing to worry about.
If there are numbers on the list, they may have been entered by someone else, or it may be your voicemail box number. To cancel and unregister all forwarding rules, dial ##002#.
This code is for GSM network providers, so it won’t work on Verizon Wireless, but you can try the *72 asterisk code . To unregister or unregister a forward if Verizon does not answer, try *73.
Deregistration and deregistration (i.e. clearing, deleting, erasing, etc.) of call forwarding settings is useful if you see suspicious numbers in the above codes that are not your voicemail box number or numbers you have set yourself for conditional call forwarding.
The code may not work with your particular string if you get any errors while running queries or “Failed”statuses. However, it’s worth trying again a few times to be sure, as sometimes it won’t connect properly at first. If you receive a voice message saying something like “your call cannot be completed as dialed”, the code does not work on your network.
On Verizon, you can also try the *63 code to view call forwarding choices. This is when certain phone numbers are selected to be forwarded to another number. The same code can disable forwarding, and in some cases *83 can do it.