Is It Possible For An Internet Website To Turn Off Your Mobile's Wi-Fi?

[JetsetBkk]

I just got two SMS Messages in Thai language that had 150,000 baht mentioned and my bank, and a "bit.ly" link.

It also showed a Thai telephone number - the sender of the message.

Two of these identical messages arrived within seconds.

 

On my mobile, I tapped the bit.ly link and "No Internet Connection" was reported by Chrome.

I tried the Adblock browser - same result.

Twitter also could not retrieve tweets.

 

Then a third identical message arrived. I blocked the number.

 

I took snapshots of the messages so I have a record of the bit.ly link and the Thai telephone number.

 

I then rebooted my mobile and went into Settings and found that the Wi-Fi was turned off.

I turned Wi-Fi on and it now appears to be working normally.

 

Is it possible for a web site to turn off your mobile's Wi-Fi?

I'm thinking that the bit.ly link that I clicked on went to a website initially, which then turned off the Wi-Fi.

Maybe the message was to extract 150,000 baht from me?

 

I also went to the bit.ly link on my W10 PC, probably a stupid thing to do, and a "Line" app QR code appeared that asked to be scanned in order to add someone as a friend.

I didn't do that.

 

My IPTV worked OK while this was going on while my phone had no internet connection. So it just affected my mobile.

 

I can provide images of the bit.ly link with the telephone number, if it helps.

 

Edit: I also have a picture of the Line QR code.

Edited October 5, 2022 by JetsetBkk

[Peterw42]

The short answer is no, a website cannot turn off your wifi. A more likely explanation would be you have accidently hit the button in your pocket or similar.

Think about it, if an sms message is trying to get you to go to a website, so they can scam you, sell you something etc, the last thing they would want is no internet, so you cant get to the site.

[JetsetBkk]

10 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

The short answer is no, a website cannot turn off your wifi. A more likely explanation would be you have accidently hit the button in your pocket or similar.

Think about it, if an sms message is trying to get you to go to a website, so they can scam you, sell you something etc, the last thing they would want is no internet, so you cant get to the site.

I was thinking more along the lines of the scammer wanting payment to "fix" my phone, so that the Wi-Fi started working again. Clearly it didn't work with me because I saw the problem in the "Wi-Fi settings.

 

But maybe it would work with less knowledgeable people.

 

But it was weird - and scary - that the Wi-Fi stopped immediately after I got the two SMS messages and then tapped on the bit.ly link.

 

[OneMoreFarang]

50 minutes ago, JetsetBkk said:

Is it possible for a web site to turn off your mobile's Wi-Fi?

No - at least it is extreme unlikely. 

[ChristianBlessing]

May I ask what version of Android you are running? There are indeed billing fraud hacks that can force a phone into cellular-only mode.

 

It's an old technology which has never been properly addressed. This article is a bit tedious but a thorough description of the issue.

[JetsetBkk]

12 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

No - at least it is extreme unlikely. 

So not "No", then.  ????

[JetsetBkk]

5 hours ago, ChristianBlessing said:

May I ask what version of Android you are running? There are indeed billing fraud hacks that can force a phone into cellular-only mode.

 

It's an old technology which has never been properly addressed. This article is a bit tedious but a thorough description of the issue.

Thanks for the link.

 

Yes, I'm afraid my mobile is very old - 2016, and runs a very old Android - 6.01.

But the messages weren't a scam! I've just painstakingly translated them:

 

 

... and it says that I'm "entitled to apply for a loan for 150k baht"!

I've obscured the bit.ly link in case it's related to me, but I think it was to a "Line" QR code.

 

So, panic over, conspiracy theories put to one side, relax!

But something turned off the Wi-Fi on my mobile and I'm sure I didn't push any buttons to do that.

Maybe my old Android just screwed up.

 

Note to self: get a new damn phone!

 

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, JetsetBkk said:

So not "No", then.  ????

It's like asking if WhatsApp messages are secure.

In principle yes, until the Israelis hacked it. 

[fdsa]

17 hours ago, JetsetBkk said:

Is it possible for a web site to turn off your mobile's Wi-Fi?

very unlikely, but not a strong "no" ????

[Digitalbanana]

6 hours ago, JetsetBkk said:

But the messages weren't a scam! I've just painstakingly translated them:

How do you know they weren't a scam? The first rule of security on any internet enabled device is not to click on links you don't know are from whom or why.