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User profile for user: Hoolahoop
Hoolahoop Author
User level: Level 1
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iPhone sending out texts without my knowing?

I recently purchased an iPhone 4S (manufacturer refurbished) from eBay. The phone has been fully reset and is already unlocked, with no previous accounts set up on it as far as I know.


After doing initial set up, I noticed it had some settings from "Three" carrier in Hong Kong. I am in the UK.


So I presume the phone has been imported from HK for resale in the UK.


I checked my recent bill online for my provider and there are numerous international texts showing up all to the same number in HK!


I am in the process of resolving this with my UK provider so they should hopefully waive the charges but what could possibly be causing these?


I set up an apple store/cloud ID just fine with all my correct details. I went through the settings and turned off as much as I could to preserve battery and limit data use.


So for example:

location services OFF

facetime OFF

iCloud OFF


and most other things off where possible.


What could this be and how can I resolve it? I have upgraded the phone to the newest iOS version from iTunes, after doing a hard reset too (then disabling settings as above)


Just to clarify I set all locales/time zones etc. correctly to UK (nothing as far as I know is HK in settings anymore)


Thanks

iPhone 4S, iOS 8

Posted on Oct 8, 2014 3:41 AM

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11 replies
User profile for user: Hoolahoop
Hoolahoop Author
User level: Level 1
0 points

Oct 9, 2014 6:41 AM in response to Alfred DeRose

Hi I already did erase all contents and settings again. The phone has a UK carrier sim.


I have a hunch its still somehow trying to send texts to a HK number, because the firmware is a Three HK one, not generic/blank. Quite distressing as I got a big bill from it. I've put restrictions on to turn off FaceTime and turned off FaceTime as I suspect it could be that.

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User profile for user: Hoolahoop
Hoolahoop Author
User level: Level 1
0 points

Oct 9, 2014 9:22 PM in response to Alfred DeRose

Hi, is there any way I can add a screenshot here? I mean, when I do a hard reset and restore even as new phone some sections come prefilled eg APN shows something like mobile.three.hk as default. Those settings I set to my UK provider settings. I only have a UK sim never had HK. It picks up carrier voice settings ok just fine over the air.


There is also a "Three" menu somewhere, have to check where again.


So it has some kind of operator customisation from Three HK which I can't seem to get rid of, even after upgrading from the iOS 7 it came with to latest iOS via iTunes.


I got a refund from my carrier in the end and they have put a block on international texts and calls so I should not get charged again but I would like it to stop it trying even.


Some research tells me there are system files in the phone which could contain, for example, number that FaceTime sends a hidden activation text message to. Is this confirmable and any way I can check/edit this number? Phone is not jailbroken or hacked. Apple id is new as well, so not shared and I have tried hard reset, restore from recovery mode, upgrade from iTunes and reset as suggested above too.


Alternatively how can I get rid of the old carrier bits as they persist no matter what I do?

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iPhone sending out texts without my knowing?

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