• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Urgent warning for people to turn off their phone immediately if they see these three signs

Home> Technology> News

Published 15:08 25 Apr 2025 GMT+1

Urgent warning for people to turn off their phone immediately if they see these three signs

Shutting off your phone and giving it a reboot could be all that's needed to fix the issue

Joe Yates

Joe Yates

With the US being the most targeted country in the world when it comes to cyber attacks, it's important that Americans know how to protect themselves online.

One way to do that is by understanding the three signs your cell phone could be under attack - and if so you'd need to switch it off immediately.

But first, let's dive into the statistics.

Advert

According to figures provided by cyber security experts AAG, in the first half of 2022, 53 million Americans had been affected by cyber crime - which equates to 15 percent of the total population in just six months.

While between July 2020 and June 2021, the US was by far the most targeted country for cyber attacks, accounting for 46 percent of all online attacks globally.

The US accounted for 46 percent of all online attacks globally between 2020 and 2021 (Getty Stock Photo)
The US accounted for 46 percent of all online attacks globally between 2020 and 2021 (Getty Stock Photo)

In 2021, individuals in the US lost a staggering $6.9 billion to cyber-related crimes, with $1.4 billion coming from investment scams, $956 million from romance fraudsters and $2.39 billion from business email compromises, according to US federal agency, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

Advert

So now that we know what we're up against, let's get into the signs that you may be being targeted.

Your device is strangely hot

It's not totally unusual for your phone to get warm when it's charging or if you're running a high-power feature.

But if you notice that your device is hot with everyday habits like scrolling Instagram or checking your calendar, it could be a sign that there are some malicious processes running in the background.

Advert

Harmful processes can access phone functions that use a lot of power, which in turn heats up your device.

If your phone is hot for no obvious reason, it's worth shutting it down (Getty Stock Photo)
If your phone is hot for no obvious reason, it's worth shutting it down (Getty Stock Photo)

Battery draining quickly

If your phone battery is being drained far faster than usual, something fishy could be going on.

Advert

Android users may have heard of the latest scam fraudsters are using, the Gorilla SMS stealer, and if you get tricked into downloading it, part of its coding bypasses power management functions.

So if you notice your battery draining quickly, just give your phone a quick reboot and it should fix the issue.

Phone being laggy

Lag is the nemesis of gamers - there's nothing worse than your internet messing up while you're on Call of Duty or on Madden.

Advert

If you experience a lag while on your phone, for instance if you click on an app and there's a delay before it opens it up, the best thing for you to do is to turn your phone off and give it a reboot.

After all, it's better to be safe than sorry!

Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Preto_perola

Topics: Phones, Crime, Technology

Joe Yates
Joe Yates

Joe is a journalist for UNILAD, who particularly enjoys writing about crime. He has worked in journalism for five years, and has covered everything from murder trials to celeb news.

X

@JMYjourno

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

13 hours ago
15 hours ago
16 hours ago
17 hours ago
  • 13 hours ago

    Urgent warning to billions of Gmail users over dangerous 'no-reply' attack

    Recently received an email from '[email protected]'?

    Technology
  • 15 hours ago

    NASA issues warning for major solar storm that has already caused radio blackouts on Earth

    Space experts have weighed in on how likely the catastrophic event may be - and how we will be affected

    Technology
  • 16 hours ago

    Bacteria with ‘unique abilities’ has mutated on space station into something never seen before on Earth

    Swabs containing Niallia tiangongensis were frozen onboard the Chinese space station before being delovered to Earth

    Technology
  • 17 hours ago

    Duolingo CEO sparks controversy by suggesting AI is a better teacher than humans as he predicts future of schooling

    Luis von Ahn has been speaking about the future of artificial intelligence

    Technology
  • Mother's warning after teen almost died in freak phone charger accident leaving entire neck in scars
  • Experts issue urgent warning to turn off default iPhone setting that could give hackers your personal information
  • Security expert warns tourists of three reasons why they should never charge their phone at an airport
  • Scary reason why you should never answer if someone asks 'can you hear me' on the phone