Bluesnarfing — Coming to An Area Near You

Britain is on the verge of a high-tech crime wave. The target is cell phones. Bluetooth phones are vulnerable to proximity hacking, or Bluesnarfing. As with a traditional pick-pocket, you won’t know you’ve been bluesnarfed until it’s too late. The hacker can virtually control your cell phone without the phone showing it’s connected to something — giving free rein for the joker to make calls, text or manage your phonebook.

Don't confuse it with Bluejacking, which is merely the sending of unsolicited messages over Bluetooth to Bluetooth-enabled devices such as mobile phones, PDAs or laptop computers, sending a vCard which typically contains a message in the name field (i.e. for bluedating or bluechat) to another bluetooth enabled device via the OBEX protocol.

Bluesnarfing, on the other hand, quickly turns invasion of privacy into a money-stealing scheme. Prior to the hustle, the hackers create a premium-rate line — like a 900 number in the US. Once they commandeer the phone, the hustlers dial the 900 number and Ka-ching, Ka-ching!

Watch how one guy bluejacks 20 phones in one hour and makes £500.

America beware; what happens in the UK, doesn’t stay in the UK. If you do not turn off the your phone’s Bluetooth feature, you’re in danger of somebody finding his or her way in.

Submitted by Ensenada Jim