Phantom dialing and texting

[Carmeggie]

My phone phantom texts random people in the middle of the night with jibberish. It has also dialed and made over 100 calls in one night. I have also been woken up to it playing music full blast when it was set on vibrate. It has taken pictures by itself with no one around and even switched the settings to Spanish.

Verizon has replaced the phone twice and today replaced the SIM card. It didn't even wait 1 day before it started playing music (there is none saved to the phone). Anyone have any suggestions. About ready to switch to Apple and that is something I said I would never do.

 

[avenged61973]

My phone phantom texts random people in the middle of the night with jibberish. It has also dialed and made over 100 calls in one night. I have also been woken up to it playing music full blast when it was set on vibrate. It has taken pictures by itself with no one around and even switched the settings to Spanish.

Verizon has replaced the phone twice and today replaced the SIM card. It didn't even wait 1 day before it started playing music (there is none saved to the phone). Anyone have any suggestions. About ready to switch to Apple and that is something I said I would never do.

Did you think about calling a paranormal investigator? It could be an app you have downloaded. If you have put the same apps on your phone try un installing and reinstalling 1by 1 and see what happens. I really don't know... That's pretty crazy.. Whatever you do don't switch to Apple!

 

[FoxKat]

My phone phantom texts random people in the middle of the night with jibberish. It has also dialed and made over 100 calls in one night. I have also been woken up to it playing music full blast when it was set on vibrate. It has taken pictures by itself with no one around and even switched the settings to Spanish.

Verizon has replaced the phone twice and today replaced the SIM card. It didn't even wait 1 day before it started playing music (there is none saved to the phone). Anyone have any suggestions. About ready to switch to Apple and that is something I said I would never do.

These are very strange symptoms you are experiencing. If you hadn't replaced the phone (twice), I would recommend a full Factory Data Restore. However, since the phone has been replaced and you're apparently experiencing the same symptoms I would point to one of several possibilities.

First, are you using the STOCK MOTOROLA Charging Block and STOCK MOTOROLA cable? If not, it is a known problem with many third party chargers and cables (even those of reputable manufacturers), causing what is known as "ghost typing", where the digitizer senses minute variations in voltages coming from the charger and interprets them as touches on the screen. This can open apps, take photos, play media, text people and initiate phone calls to contacts or to random phone numbers. Especially the fact that the texts it sends is "jibberish" leads me to believe it's either a third-party charger or a defective one, since when "ghost typing" it does so with completely random letters and numbers. To see it in action (as I have), you'd think the phone was possessed, or being controlled by "a ghost", hence the name.

Here's a link to a very old thread (there are plenty of others like it), describing the issues you mention. http://www.droidforums.net/forum/te...-suggestions/4081-rogue-droid-huge-issue.html

Another potential cause of "ghost typing" is dirt, oils or moisture at the edges of the glass screen between the glass and where it meets up with the metal bezel (surrounding external metal frame). This was a huge problem with the OD Droid, but seems to be almost a non-issue with the newer generation digitizers. Similar to the voltage fluctuations in the non-stock chargers, the digitizer detects the dirt, oils and moisture as changes in the screen capacitance which is how it determines where you touch the screen. This changing capacitance is interpreted as your finger making those touches and results in the same symptoms you describe.

To fix this problem, Isopropyl Alcohol on a cotton swab can be used to clean the screen, and to get the dirt and oils from the edges, a piece of thin rigid plastic, the type used in theft-resistant packaging, cut to a point can be used to dig out along the edges of the glass.

Finally, if you are using the STOCK CHARGER and STOCK CABLE, then I would point to a software app that you've installed which may be infected with a virus, or which is incompatible with your phone and causing the strange symptoms. Symptoms of the nature you describe just don't manifest themselves - especially across three different phones (the original and 2 replacements). There has to be a cause.

Either way, I have to point to the user's actions as the cause since the statistical odds of 3 phones in a row all exhibiting the same, unique, completely inexplicable and highly unusual symptoms is monumental. If these phones exhibited those symptoms with others, there would be information related to it on our and others' forums. I can't find anything remotely similar in my searches, other than the known issues related to third-party chargers and screen edge dirt.

Sent from my A210 using Tapatalk HD

 

[YellowJacket]

Sounds like a rogue app doing all that since its happened to both phones, I would think the only common link would be an app. Unless your number is plastered all over the place with a message to call or text you.

Best bet is to do a hard reset and install your apps one at a time.

David

 

[Steve H]

My first Droid D1 did that. Verizon replaced it and three more of them!!!! All the same problem. It would call, text and email on its own. After a bit more than a year of that I went a Droid X..................same problem!!!! Now I have the Razor Maxx and no more phantom calls and texts.

 

[Deeerrroooiiid]

Going to have to agree with FoxKat on this one. Had it happen with Droid 1, I was working out of town and left my charger at home, so I went to Walmart and bought the cheapest charger I could to get me through. I thought I was doing the right thing buying one that stated it was for the Motorola Droid. Well long story short, phone acted weird with the charger. Got home used Motorola charger that came with the phone and bam problem solved. Ever since I go out of my way to only purchase Motorola chargers. Fyi, Motorola well send you a free charger if yours is defective and your phone is still under warranty.

 

[avenged61973]

These are very strange symptoms you are experiencing. If you hadn't replaced the phone (twice), I would recommend a full Factory Data Restore. However, since the phone has been replaced and you're apparently experiencing the same symptoms I would point to one of several possibilities.

First, are you using the STOCK MOTOROLA Charging Block and STOCK MOTOROLA cable? If not, it is a known problem with many third party chargers and cables (even those of reputable manufacturers), causing what is known as "ghost typing", where the digitizer senses minute variations in voltages coming from the charger and interprets them as touches on the screen. This can open apps, take photos, play media, text people and initiate phone calls to contacts or to random phone numbers. Especially the fact that the texts it sends is "jibberish" leads me to believe it's either a third-party charger or a defective one, since when "ghost typing" it does so with completely random letters and numbers. To see it in action (as I have), you'd think the phone was possessed, or being controlled by "a ghost", hence the name.

Here's a link to a very old thread (there are plenty of others like it), describing the issues you mention. http://www.droidforums.net/forum/tech-issues-bug-reports-suggestions/4081-rogue-droid-huge-issue.html

Another potential cause of "ghost typing" is dirt, oils or moisture at the edges of the glass screen between the glass and where it meets up with the metal bezel (surrounding external metal frame). This was a huge problem with the OD Droid, but seems to be almost a non-issue with the newer generation digitizers. Similar to the voltage fluctuations in the non-stock chargers, the digitizer detects the dirt, oils and moisture as changes in the screen capacitance which is how it determines where you touch the screen. This changing capacitance is interpreted as your finger making those touches and results in the same symptoms you describe.

To fix this problem, Isopropyl Alcohol on a cotton swab can be used to clean the screen, and to get the dirt and oils from the edges, a piece of thin rigid plastic, the type used in theft-resistant packaging, cut to a point can be used to dig out along the edges of the glass.

Finally, if you are using the STOCK CHARGER and STOCK CABLE, then I would point to a software app that you've installed which may be infected with a virus, or which is incompatible with your phone and causing the strange symptoms. Symptoms of the nature you describe just don't manifest themselves - especially across three different phones (the original and 2 replacements). There has to be a cause.

Either way, I have to point to the user's actions as the cause since the statistical odds of 3 phones in a row all exhibiting the same, unique, completely inexplicable and highly unusual symptoms is monumental. If these phones exhibited those symptoms with others, there would be information related to it on our and others' forums. I can't find anything remotely similar in my searches, other than the known issues related to third-party chargers and screen edge dirt.

Sent from my A210 using Tapatalk HD

Wow! This is really good to know. I had no idea using a different charger could be that bad on your phone. I always use the stock chargers, I actually bought 3 extras. I will spread the knowledge!

 

[wjmueller]

I experienced the same problem last nite. My phone phantom texted at least 20 people, most from my address book, and called another 30 (several of the 30 were called multiple times). I called Verizon and they did not see anything unusual on the account so they referred me to Motorola. I plan to call them next. This is the first time this ever happened and I had the phone for over a year.

 

[MarBearCat]

I read on yahoo news that the 'Heartbleed' virus could infect
certian android phones. I believe Jellybean 4.1

My RAZR is 4.1.2, so I downloaded the 'Heartbleed detector'
app by Lookout from the google store.

Not sure if this has anything to do with the problems listed
in this thread but worth a look.


=^.".^=

 

[Sajo]

I read on yahoo news that the 'Heartbleed' virus could infect
certian android phones. I believe Jellybean 4.1

My RAZR is 4.1.2, so I downloaded the 'Heartbleed detector'
app by Lookout from the google store.

Not sure if this has anything to do with the problems listed
in this thread but worth a look.

=^.".^=

Probably not. From what I understand, Heartbleed is not a virus. It's a security failure with SSL, not an actual downloadable virus.

Sent from my XT907 using Droid Forums

 

[lloydsw]

I experienced the same problem last nite. My phone phantom texted at least 20 people, most from my address book, and called another 30 (several of the 30 were called multiple times). I called Verizon and they did not see anything unusual on the account so they referred me to Motorola. I plan to call them next. This is the first time this ever happened and I had the phone for over a year.

That is some bizarre behaviour!