Fake Cell Towers Across USA Tracking Users
Just when you thought you were safe with your Android phone complete with anti-virus software, it has now been learned that authorities across the USA including some law enforcement agencies are using a secondary cell tower to capture unencrypted phone calls and other mobile data serendipitously.
The additional cell towers known as “stringrays” in law enforcement circles aim to add new types of surveillance in the local vicinity. The towers often are situated on the edge of military bases or land denoted as being owned by the military but never the less being close enough to a cell tower situated on public property to capture the data traffic being transmitted.
It is now yet understood which secondary cell towers are law enforcement related and which are bogus ones there to pick up cell traffic for purposes unknown. The information first appeared in Popular Science and was later picked up by the FCC who have launched their own internal investigation. As many as 17 separate fake cell towers have been located so far across the USA and more may be present. It is unknown who is erecting these newer towers or who is behind them.
One option for worried consumers is to purchase an encrypted smart phone. This is no longer the purview of the secret agents though. Companies like CryptoPhone are able to use the basics of a Samsung Galaxy S III to create their CryptoPhone 500 which can detect the fake towers whereas a normal phone did not, connected to them and kept transmitting data.
The only odd thing was that the fake towers were not equipped with 4G technology, so for people using a 4G LTE connection at the local tower, they would be able to see a sudden switch from 4G communications down to 3G but that was the only indicator that something was amiss.
