Security Concern - text messages

[Anonymous]

I was recently away for work with a colleage for one night.  While we were away text messages sent to me also appeared on my colleague's phone.  They showed as having what I know to be my husband's number.  These texts also appeared on his own phone as new messages.

I find this really worrying - my husband was sending me texts which were duplicated to my colleagues phone.  He does not know my colleague or have her phone number, nor have I used his phone previously.

My colleague complained to her mobile phone company (Talk Talk) and was told it was impossible for this to happen.  Obviously it isn't!

I find it extremely concerning that this could happen for the privacy of texts generally.  I would be really grateful if anyone could explain how this could have happened!  My phone is Tesco, my husband's is O2 and my colleague's phone network is Talk Talk.  We were away near Birmingham, we live in the North East of England if that helps at all.

[MI5]

The only way I know that this is possible is if iphones are sharing an apple id.

[Cleoriff]

This is really weird...I have never heard of it at all. As you say @Anonymous very worrying in terms of security.

[jonsie]

Are you both using iphones? As said, it can only happen if you are sharing an Apple ID or sharing an itunes account.

[Bambino]

The only other ways I can think of that it would be possible to do that would be if both phones were capable of NFC and both were activated, but it would involve both phones touching each other as well, or if the phones were paired by Bluetooth and they used Bluetooth File Transfer. Even then I'm not sure it could be done.

[Anonymous]

@Anonymous do you have a separate Apple ID or do you & your husband share the same Apple ID on both phones

[Anonymous]

My colleague and I have Samsung phones, my husband has a Blackberry.  I'm not very technical, I just use my phone for texting - the phones weren't physically touching and I have never paired my phone with my colleagues using bluetooth.

[Anonymous]

I don't know what NFC is but I have only ever called or texted my colleague, we have never bluetoothed anything.

[Bambino]

This isn't a problem I've ever heard of before, and I don't recall anything even similar being posted here. I'm not sure if anyone else here has any other suggestions other than the ones already given.

Putting the query into Google came back with posts about the problem, but most relating to iPhones 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=same+text+appearing+on+different+phones&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=c...

[Cleoriff]

We have some very experienced Samsung users on here @Anonymous and if they can't help you may want to ring SamsungTechnical department. It is worrying and of course makes you wonder what other info may be shared.

http://www.samsung.com/uk/info/contactus.html