• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Help Spyware and remote control via workspace

TRIPLEOGK

Lurker
Feb 20, 2022
7
3
On my samsung A71 5g. My phone automatically installed apps and began locking me out of my personal phone recently through Work Profile (google workspace). It started Feb 4, 2022. I factory reset and canceled the number and got a new I phone as of February11. I was then using the phone perfectly as just an internet gaming console. I informed a person I thought was responsible yesterday and boom, 11 new apps coming from Google workspace and samsung account were downloaded while I slept through the MDE services framework (a remote access granted through Google for workplace monitoring). Problem is this is a personal phone. I lost my job on the 14th due to a contract breach of confidentiality agreement (because of this happening). Now, my phone is an iPhone and hasn't had an issue, but how would I go about getting the person responsible information from Google Workspace without an account? I know who they are, but want direct evidence to supply the Colorado Bureau of Investigstion. Also, I have their breakpad customer ID but would like as much evidence as possible as I lost my job, girlfriend, and stupidly almost committed suicide because no one believed me and was calling me paranoid and delusional. I even am going to a mental health facility tomorrow for further help. But without my job now, this will be a very expensive trip. Especially since all of this is directly the fault of those responsible.
 
I would stay away from the mental health facility.

This can stigmatize you for the rest of your life, in many endeavors that you may choose in the future.

They will tell you that it is all confidential because it is medical, but that is a lie (ie. do you have proof of your vaccination status?)

Perhaps HR at your previous employer should know that this other person has such access to their work space.

I would not hold my breath for anything to be done, at least until this person does it enough to be caught.
Even then, there may be strong enough connections that nothing is done.

In my view, things like 'work space' and other company/government intrusions onto our personal devices were created exactly to foster this sort of behavior.

These things are used to shuck off responsibility of humans, and it is much easier to do nothing than to fix the problem.

Employers should provide any devices that are to be used as such, and the software should be proprietary- not some crap from Google or otherwise.

Also my opinion, but a person that leaves you when you need support was not really ever there to begin with.
(I know exactly how this feels, by the way.)
 
  • Like
Reactions: ocnbrze
Upvote 0
I would stay away from the mental health facility.

This can stigmatize you for the rest of your life, in many endeavors that you may choose in the future.

They will tell you that it is all confidential because it is medical, but that is a lie (ie. do you have proof of your vaccination status?)

Perhaps HR at your previous employer should know that this other person has such access to their work space.

I would not hold my breath for anything to be done, at least until this person does it enough to be caught.
Even then, there may be strong enough connections that nothing is done.

In my view, things like 'work space' and other company/government intrusions onto our personal devices were created exactly to foster this sort of behavior.

These things are used to shuck off responsibility of humans, and it is much easier to do nothing than to fix the problem.

Employers should provide any devices that are to be used as such, and the software should be proprietary- not some crap from Google or otherwise.

Also my opinion, but a person that leaves you when you need support was not really ever there to begin with.
(I know exactly how this feels, by the way.)


Thanks for the reply. The problem with all of this, is this was never a workplace device. It had no work information on it. However, it being compromised through a google email that had been checked on my workplace device was the reason I was fired. My boss is completely on my side and has offered to help. I will even have my job back once this is all settled. My job is confidential, but it gives me a set of skills that makes me dangerous to these perpetrators (yes, that was shamelessly quoted from the movie Taken, big Liam Neeson fan). Except I no longer have the IT tools of my office so my personal investigation has taken a bit longer than expected. Also, the people involved happen to be the people I trusted most in this world. They still think they can deflect and deny, but I'm 4 steps ahead of them.

The problem I'm having is finding out how what device they are using to communicate with their remote help. Right now I can hear them using the device a mere 6 feet away from me in the bathroom. And they are going to continue and lie about it to my face, all while I gather evidence. I have given them many chances to tell me what Is happening, they continue to deny. I was going to go easy on them as I considered them family. But now that they continue to lie, the leash is off.

I'm fighting fire with fire. However, I don't want to destroy them, I just want undeniable evidence to show them so they will get off my back and we can have peace of mind. I do still consider them family, but am prepared to take everything if that's what it takes.

That's why I'm just trying to figure out how to get names from Google workspace or their breakpad client ID. Once I show them that I know it's them, and what I scanned and took pictures of (old school camera and scanner not on the internet was used to take pictures of all of their personal files since the year 2002) they will have no choice but to fold.

And quite honestly, I'm a very forgiving person, I just want my privacy and my girl back. I don't need to press charges or take anything that isn't mine. But I'm prepared to.
 
Upvote 0
I would consider placing hidden cameras if that is possible.

I would be very wary of that girl, as I stated above.

I am glad to here of your boss's position on this.

I do not think that Google will be of any help.

Perhaps the following app could give some insight as to how this may have all happened? (Maybe not this app particularly, but it is proof that they exist.)
I did not think any of this was possible until recently another post was discussing this sort of thing.

https://f-droid.org/en/packages/tranquvis.simplesmsremote/

Generally for this type of thing, a person would need to have access to your device- long enough to download, install, and set it up.

With practice, it can be done within a bathroom break.

The way cameras are now, and screen recorders, etc., it would not be so difficult for someone to watch you enter passwords/codes and the like.

Question...
if this is not a work device (you previously stated that it is your personal device), is it used for work? This would be an issue right off the bat.
If not, what was it doing in that environment?

If it is mearly your personal device, then why was it connected to anything to do with work?

This is why employers should supply devices used for work.
Personal and work devices should be completely separate devices.

I know what a pain this can be, but it is nothing compared to what you are going through.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ocnbrze
Upvote 0
No. It is not used for work in the slightest. However I had previously checked an email account on my work device that was associated with this phone. That's why my employer had to let me go. I volunteered the information the I had checked my email from my work device as I thought it would be beneficial to be completely transparent with my employer. That's why I have my job back if I can find proof of who the perpetrators are (they aren't after anything to do with work, they just are trying to catch me doing something I'm not supposed to). It was a lapse of judgment to ever use my work device to check my personal account. For that I do take blame.

And they definitely have had the chance to be alone with my device for upwards of 30 or so minutes before I was aware of what was going on. Now I keep all my devices either behind locked doors or on my person (I even stashed an old device with a trusted friend about 100 miles away from me).

Google has completely avoided the issue. But, other companies have verified my concerns and now I have a cyber security company (trellix) looking into it on my behalf.

But thanks again for the link, I will definitely be investigating this further. And I will post updates (with many more questions I'm sure, because I'm not Very good at the technical side of these things).

But I'm also a Vin Diesel fan. "You never turn your back on family." So, I am trying to get them just to sit down and talk to me about it, but I haven't seen any sign of a backbone yet.
 
Upvote 0
Yeah, sorry to be so blunt about that, but it is what it is.
If people are not there to support one another, then what are they around for?

Growing up and going through school, you meet many people, and often we think that we will be around them for life.
Sometimes that can happen, but more often than not we grow older, people move away, our friend circle shrinks, and continues to do so.

Eventually we wind up with a very selective group, some are there by chance, some by choice, but the crowd usually has shrunk by a large amount.

Anyway, those that hurt us tend to continue to do so if we let them.
 
Upvote 0
I recently purchased a device that may be of some interest.

Matco has a camera, very small, that is on the end of a long, thin, flexible rod.

This is fixed to the controller that has another long cord that plugs into your phone.

It is called a BoreScope, and is used to see (and record video!) deep inside of engines (and other stuff).
It will also record audio, but from your phone microphone.

It costs about $110, and works great.

https://www.matcotools.com/catalog/product/MDMAXSCOPEA/MAXIMUS-BORESCOPE/

In getting the link for the above, I see that there is also a wi-fi version, which may be even better for your use.

https://www.matcotools.com/catalog/product/MDWIFISCOPE/WIFI-BORESCOPE/
 
Upvote 0
On my samsung A71 5g. My phone automatically installed apps and began locking me out of my personal phone new I phone as of February11. I was then using the phone perfectly as just an internet gaming console. I informed a person I thought was responsible yesterday and boom, 11 new apps coming from Google workspace and samsung account were downloaded while I slept through the MDE services framework (a remote access granted through Google for workplace monitoring). Problem is this is a personal phone. I lost my job on the 14th due to a contract breach of confidentiality agreement (because of this happening). Now, my phone is an iPhone and hasn't had an issue, but how would I go about getting the person responsible information from Google Workspace without an account? I know who they are, but want direct evidence to supply the Colorado Bureau of Investigstion. Also, I have their breakpad customer ID but would like as much evidence as possible as I lost my job, girlfriend, and stupidly almost committed suicide because no one believed me and was calling me paranoid and delusional. I even am going to a mental health facility tomorrow for further help. But without my job now, this will be a very expensive trip. Especially since all of this is directly the fault of those responsible.
On my samsung A71 5g. My phone automatically installed apps and began locking me out of my personal phone recently through Work Profile (google workspace). It started Feb 4, 2022. I factory reset and canceled the number and got a new I phone as of February11. I was then using the phone perfectly as just an internet gaming console. I informed a person I thought was responsible yesterday and boom, 11 new apps coming from Google workspace and samsung account were downloaded while I slept through the MDE services framework (a remote access granted through Google for workplace monitoring). Problem is this is a personal phone. I lost my job on the 14th due to a contract breach of confidentiality agreement (because of this happening). Now, my phone is an iPhone and hasn't had an issue, but how would I go about getting the person responsible information from Google Workspace without an account? I know who they are, but want direct evidence to supply the Colorado Bureau of Investigstion. Also, I have their breakpad customer ID but would like as much evidence as possible as I lost my job, girlfriend, and stupidly almost committed suicide because no one believed me and was calling me paranoid and delusional. I even am going to a mental health facility tomorrow for further help. But without my job now, this will be a very expensive trip. Especially since all of this is directly the fault of those responsible.
 
Upvote 0
On my samsung A71 5g. My phone automatically installed apps and began locking me out of my personal phone new I phone as of February11. I was then using the phone perfectly as just an internet gaming console. I informed a person I thought was responsible yesterday and boom, 11 new apps coming from Google workspace and samsung account were downloaded while I slept through the MDE services framework (a remote access granted through Google for workplace monitoring). Problem is this is a personal phone. I lost my job on the 14th due to a contract breach of confidentiality agreement (because of this happening). Now, my phone is an iPhone and hasn't had an issue, but how would I go about getting the person responsible information from Google Workspace without an account? I know who they are, but want direct evidence to supply the Colorado Bureau of Investigstion. Also, I have their breakpad customer ID but would like as much evidence as possible as I lost my job, girlfriend, and stupidly almost committed suicide because no one believed me and was calling me paranoid and delusional. I even am going to a mental health facility tomorrow for further help. But without my job now, this will be a very expensive trip. Especially since all of this is directly the fault of those responsible.
On my samsung A71 5g. My phone automatically installed apps and began locking me out of my personal phone recently through Work Profile (google workspace). It started Feb 4, 2022. I factory reset and canceled the number and got a new I phone as of February11. I was then using the phone perfectly as just an internet gaming console. I informed a person I thought was responsible yesterday and boom, 11 new apps coming from Google workspace and samsung account were downloaded while I slept through the MDE services framework (a remote access granted through Google for workplace monitoring). Problem is this is a personal phone. I lost my job on the 14th due to a contract breach of confidentiality agreement (because of this happening). Now, my phone is an iPhone and hasn't had an issue, but how would I go about getting the person responsible information from Google Workspace
 
Upvote 0

BEST TECH IN 2023

We've been tracking upcoming products and ranking the best tech since 2007. Thanks for trusting our opinion: we get rewarded through affiliate links that earn us a commission and we invite you to learn more about us.

Smartphones