Summary
Like the mythical monster called Hydra, who’s multiple serpent heads would re-grow even if they were hacked off, eStealth’s nest of Bluetooth spy phone scam-brands refuse to die, multiplying like a plague of locusts. Outright lies on web sites, refutation of basic consumer rights, rejection of support, illegal terms and conditions, no money back guarantee, limited usability are the hallmark of this scam-ware.
There are Nigerian fortune chain mail emails that are more believable than e-stealth’s lies.
E-stealth
This is the product that drove me to start Spy Phone Review, so perhaps this particular cloud has a silver lining, as you can now benefit from my experience. My friend was one of the hundreds that were burned by the E-Stealth Bluetooth spy phone fraud and I’m here to do what I can to protect others from sharing his fate.
A fool and his money are easily parted
They say there is a sucker born every minute, and it must be true as he parted with $149 for E-stealth’s Ultimate Mobile Phone Spy 2009 Platinum Edition. Of course, the product he received would not work, and was unintelligible to anyone who is not a mobile developer. Being the technical geek of my peer group, he came to me for help, and I have to say that I was staggered at my friends idiocy.
They say if you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and e-stealth’s advertising is based on exactly this principle. Anyone looking for spy phone software will not be able to avoid coming across E-stealth’s Ultimate Mobile Phone Spy 2009 Platinum Edition. Their advertising and affiliate sites are everywhere, and they have several scam operations running under a variety of names.
Partners in Crime
Here are some of the current names that I discovered are operations for the e-stealth scam. Bluestealth, Ultimate Mobile Spy, eStealth, SpyMasterTools, CellSpyPro, phonestealth, bigdaddyspy. They may seem different, but it’s still the same Frankenstein’s bride at different weddings.
Take it from me, as an expert, can tell you that it is a fact that no legitimate company produces a robust and viable Bluetooth spyphone solution, so as soon as you hear ‘bluetooth’ and ‘spyphone’ in the same sentence in a sales pitch, close your wallet and head for the hills.
Lies, Damn Lies and E-stealth
Check out some of these E-stealth claims and policies.
- It will work with any phone.
- They explicitly say they do not offer support.
- They have a zero refund policy!
- If you do ask for your money back, they state that they will prosecute you for $10,000.
- The screen shots of their product is actually that of Mobilespy Windows mobile.
1 and 5 are actually outright LIES, and even their own manual says that not all phones are supported. The remaining points are illegal as they ask you to give up your rights as a consumer. I find it amazing that anyone would be so stupid to continue to purchase this, but just because a consumer is an idiot, you do not have the right to take advantage of them!
The Lowdown
So after you pay your money, you are delivered a 3M file called bluetoothspy.zip. This contains 3 directories called Bluetooth hack, email and laptop_software respectively. There is also a PDF document which describes the applications in the Bluetooth hack directory. The other two directories contain PC software that are not described, and I did not see any reason to install something on my PC that could be a potential virus.
The Bluetooth hack directory contains nine midlets. A midlet is a program that can run on a java enabled mobile phone. These programs are of two types. An AT command parser that allows execution of commands on a compatible target device. The other is a File Browser that allows the viewing and some manipulation of file on a device whose user has given you permission to connect.
For the tests, I installed the files into three devices. These were Sony Ericsson W580i, Nokia 6681 and Nokia N73, and the results were as follows.
FTP_BT [AT Parser]
Reading info from mobile OK, reading phonebook buggy (number of records is correct but phone numbers are not displayed correctly), SMS reading ok on Sony. Writing text pop-up messages works. All tests fail on Nokia.
Get it for free here:
www.gsmhacks.com/forums/symbian-os-9-1-applications/52106-ftp_bt-version-1-06-a.html
[File Browser]
An audit tool to report if a mobile device is secure or attack from outside is possible. Does not work on Nokia devices.
It is available free here:
trifinite.org/trifinite_stuff_bloooverii.html
Miyux Beta [File Browser]
This is a file browser that claims to work over Bluetooth. In my tests, this application starts with exceptions but application does launch. After connecting again its throws an exception about not being able to define incoming path for sent data and eventually the application freezes.
ISeeYourFile [File Browser]
Another Bluetooth file browser. In my tests, this application would connect to the target ( even if permission was given ) was not able to read any data.
STMBlues [File Browser]
Yet another FileManager/Browser, but this one works. I was able to add a new/send/move folder to connected device. Deleting files was buggy, and worked only for pictures. For audio files IO Exception were the order of the day.
Get it for free here:
www.getjar.com/products/8042/STMBlueS
BT_File_Manager [File Browser]
A file manager that claims to work across Bluetooth. This was not tested.
M_Bluespyv1.05 [File Browser]
Yet another Bluetooth file browser.
Get it free here:
www.gegereka.com/?query=M_Bluespyv1.05
Samsung
Instructions to do a USB install on a Samsung device.
Extra
Contains a file called Mobilucks60 which is a messenger application. Nothing to do with spying, no idea why it is included.
Get it free here:
www.getjar.com/products/3166/MobiLuckBluetoothMessengerforSymbianS60
After reading the documentation and installing the parts of the suite we can draw the following conclusions
- The suite is a collection of unrelated utilities and tools that all exist for FREE in the public domain. They were not designed for spying, but for remote browsing across Bluetooth in a lab environment.
- They do not work on most phones, because the AT command set is not compatible with new phones.
- They also require JSRs ( special extension capabilities that are not part of a standard specification) that don’t exist on most phones
- They can only work if you are within 10m of the target device, IF you can get a Bluetooth connection
- They are not robust programs, and do not constitute a spy phone product
- They all display a warning on the target device and require the target device to accept and allow all connections.
- A target is unlikely to allow an unknown person to connect unless they are an imbecile, in which case their secrets probably are not worth knowing!
- The principle of operation is to use AT commands to execute operations like reading SMS or reading files. What they don’t tell you is that these commands are not supported on the majority of phones.
- The only phone on which SMS reading works that I tested is a Sony Ericsson W580i
- Call interception is impossible
Conclusion
Ultimate Bluetooth Spy isn’t really a packaged product but is a bunch of different zipped freeware that does not do what esteath claimed. They know this, and this is why they do not offer support, and will sue you for $10,000 should you try to claim your money back. Of course, in reality they can’t do this, as you have basic consumer rights, but if you are stupid enough to believe their lies and accept their terms and conditions, then perhaps you would tricked into giving up your rights.