Strange Call from Unknown

[robmcdon]

I flew over a friends house on 2 occasions within 3-4 days practicing with my Mavic3 Pro.
She was aware I was there and watched.
Today on her phone, filling the screen, was the message “someone has been observing your property”. Do you Approve or Not approve”.
She was not able to clear the phone screen until she answered. The message also had a post of lake property and a green mark. She was not certain it was her house.
Her house is next to Corps of Engineer property on Old Hickory Lake in Nashville Tn.
I have heard they fined another drone user without a license.
I do have remote ID, am registered and have passed my Part 107.
Has anyone heard of this before

 

[GFields]

This is the first time I've heard such a thing. Was there a phone number associated with the message?

 

[mavic3usa]

Interesting.

 

[Droning on and on...]

It'll take A LOT more detail and evidence to convince me someone has taken the time and effort to connect RID location data, lot and ownership records, and cell phone records. The effort, cost, and resources to develop this and debug it would be substantial.

Rather, I think this likely a trojan horse that got installed on her phone and this occurring around the same week you flew over her property is pure coincidence.

Have her check with her adjacent neighbors and see if any of them had the same thing happen.

Finally, the very nature of the entire situation is suspicious as ache ee double hockey sticks. Who would go to the effort and expense to inform you a drone was flying over your property, with the provocative "someone has been observing your property", with the action by the owner simply to register their approval?

The whole thing stinks to high heaven of a classic phishing scam.

 

[robmcdon]

This is the first time I've heard such a thing. Was there a phone number associated with the message?

No contact information of any kind. The message froze the screen until question answered. I called the Corps of Engineers for the Old Hickory Lake area and they knew nothing

 

[Cafguy]

The whole thing stinks to high heaven of a classic phishing scam.

Agree -Do you have any friends or neighbors with "techie kids" you may be the victim of a prank

Her house is next to Corps of Engineer property on Old Hickory Lake in Nashville Tn.

The corps of engineers probably doesn't care about a drone Why would they and they would send you a letter not some kind of POLL on a phone It is strange though but probably a prank lol

 

[rickmurray1989]

No contact information of any kind. The message froze the screen until question answered. I called the Corps of Engineers for the Old Hickory Lake area and they knew nothing

I fly around Old Hickory Lake all the time and I have for over 7 years. I have never experienced anything like this situation.

 

[rickmurray1989]

No contact information of any kind. The message froze the screen until question answered. I called the Corps of Engineers for the Old Hickory Lake area and they knew nothing

The fact that the message froze the screen sounds like an ominous scam.

 

[robmcdon]

It sounds like a scam to me as well. Could someone with a scanner seen my drone and deduced the location? But if so, how did they get my friends phone number and lock up the screen. She said it had a professional look.

 

[mavic3usa]

It sounds like a scam to me as well. Could someone with a scanner seen my drone and deduced the location? But if so, how did they get my friends phone number and lock up the screen. She said it had a professional look.

Of course, everything you do is public. This is what happens when *all* of your details become available to anyone who wants them.

This is what I was afraid of being that we have no idea how these things happen but since we can't prove anything, can't place the blame on or point the finger at anything in particular. Can we blame RID, of course not? Until someone can prove the RID did this, the RID count will remain at zero....forever.

 

[AMann]

What type of phone does your friend have, Apple or Android? I agree that this has to be a malware phishing scam that coincidentally happened at the same time when you flew your drone.

 

[MS Coast]

Of course, everything you do is public. This is what happens when *all* of your details become available to anyone who wants them.

This is what I was afraid of being that we have no idea how these things happen but since we can't prove anything, can't place the blame on or point the finger at anything in particular. Can we blame RID, of course not? Until someone can prove the RID did this, the RID count will remain at zero....forever.

Oh, not the fretting about our "details" being available.

 

[MS Coast]

Her house is next to Corps of Engineer property on Old Hickory Lake in Nashville Tn.
I have heard they fined another drone user without a license.

Fine a drone user for what? I looked at B4YouFly and didn't see any restrictions around Old Hickory Lake. The Corps wouldn't have any involvement in enforcing FAA regulations or license requirements.

 

[MA2 317]

Today on her phone, filling the screen, was the message “someone has been observing your property”. Do you Approve or Not approve”.

Sounds scammy to me.

Doesn't say if the observation was by a drone, Google street view, etc.

Anybody can "observe" your property so it's no big deal to approve or disapprove.


.

 

[mavic3usa]

Oh, not the fretting about our "details" being available.

No not about the details. I just got ahead of this by pointing out that every situation that comes up, unless someone can "prove" RID is involved, the response is going to be "it didn't happen." As if anyone will ever be able to prove that RID is involved. I'm focusing on the count like you will be doing in the future with another "Has anyone ever been able to prove that even one RID event was used to harass...." know that no one will be able to likely prove it. So far there have been dozens, we just can't prove it. This thread will be a model post for every dubious situation that comes up....bet me.

 

[WanderLost]

It sounds like a scam to me as well. Could someone with a scanner seen my drone and deduced the location? But if so, how did they get my friends phone number and lock up the screen. She said it had a professional look.

We get scams all the time on our phones that somehow know our cell number. But that's because the scammers use Internet phone # generators that send spam out to random numbers by the 100,000s. The fact that your friend's phone was frozen when it displayed the message is pretty indicative of a scam and not a real message.

 

[Droning on and on...]

No not about the details. I just got ahead of this by pointing out that every situation that comes up, unless someone can "prove" RID is involved, the response is going to be "it didn't happen."

RID was a non-factor in my analysis and criticism of this silliness.

You fail to see the forest for the trees.

 

[MS Coast]

I just got ahead of this by pointing out that every situation that comes up, unless someone can "prove" RID is involved, the response is going to be "it didn't happen."

That's the way reality works.

 

[Torque]

So far there have been dozens, we just can't prove it. This thread will be a model post for every dubious situation that comes up....bet me.

Your fear mongering paranoia requires no evidence as it continues to spread across this forum....bet me.

 

[Prop Wash]

There are 3 areas of history she should look at. Test history, even though it wasn't a call check the call history & internet history as well. Maybe her phone captured this thing in one of those places that could provide more info. Just thinking out loud. Definitely strange.