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Mum Discovers eBay Samsung Screen Protector Lets Anyone Open Her Phone

Mum Discovers eBay Samsung Screen Protector Lets Anyone Open Her Phone

Lisa Neilson, 34, said she bought a £2.70 screen protector online to cover her new Samsung Galaxy S10

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

A mum has claimed anyone could access her personal information on her phone after she fitted it with a screen protector from eBay.

Lisa Neilson, 34, said she bought a £2.70 screen protector online to cover her new Samsung Galaxy S10.

After placing the gel protector over the Samsung handset, Lisa set up her right thumb as the print to access the phone.

However, later she found that her left thumb print also unlocked the phone - and soon discovered any print could do so, worryingly.

Samsung has now launched an investigation into what happened, having advised that people should only use authorised screen protectors.

NB Press Ltd

She even got her husband Wes, 34, to try both of his thumbs, and they found he was also able to open the phone through the gel cover.

Lisa, from Castleford, West Yorkshire, said: "Anyone can access it and could get into the financial apps and transfer funds."

Mum-of-two Lisa also checked her sister's Samsung, and realised the exact same thing happened when fitted with the screen protector.

Lisa continued: "This means that if anyone got hold of my phone they can access it and within moments could be into the financial apps and be transferring funds.

"It's a real concern.

"We called Samsung because we thought there was a fault with the phone.

"The man in customer services took control of the phone remotely and went into all the settings and finally admitted it looked like a security breach.

"They said someone in another department who could investigate would call us but we still haven't heard anything from them."

NB Press Ltd

Samsung is now investigating her discovery, with a spokesperson for the company saying: "We're investigating this internally. We recommend all customers to use Samsung authorised accessories, specifically designed for Samsung products."

Earlier this year, Samsung broke new ground with its new foldable phone, the Galaxy Fold.

Unlike the flip phones of yesteryear that we knew and loved, the Galaxy fold creases in the middle of the screen, and comes with a 7.3-inch display.

Mind you, people also found issues with the protective screen on that model, too, with many revealing on Twitter they had removed a protective layer they weren't supposed to - believing it was one of those films you take off after purchasing the phone.

Samsung Galaxy Fold.
PA

In a statement given to The Verge, Samsung said it would 'thoroughly inspect' problems with the device and said it would ensure users were aware that they should not remove the protective film.

The statement read: "A limited number of early Galaxy Fold samples were provided to media for review. We have received a few reports regarding the main display on the samples provided. We will thoroughly inspect these units in person to determine the cause of the matter.

"Separately, a few reviewers reported having removed the top layer of the display causing damage to the screen. The main display on the Galaxy Fold features a top protective layer, which is part of the display structure designed to protect the screen from unintended scratches. Removing the protective layer or adding adhesives to the main display may cause damage. We will ensure this information is clearly delivered to our customers."

Featured Image Credit: NB Press Ltd

Topics: Phones and Gadgets, News, Technology