How do I prove text is fake?

[ChimpParadox]

A girl is showing DDs friends a text that she supposedly sent. It’s a vile text and DD has most definitely not sent it. The friends are believing the girl as they’ve seen the text. DD hasn’t seen the text.
How does DD prove it is not from her?
How does she find out who it is from?
What can be done?

fieryginger the girl is showing a screenshot not a text so one assumes the original text is gone - kids tend to be fairly intelligent with tech and would know that keeping the text attached to the original number would incriminate them.

CHimp the network provider can only show you texts sent via their network - if it was sent like an imessage , they cant account for this

Really flaming? It won’t show iMessages. That’s annoying as how can we prove she didn’t send an iMessage? Blooming teens and technology.

Just checked mine. I only send iMessages or 90% are and mine are listed. Maybe it depends on network. She’s on same as me so iMessages will show... phew!

If the school can’t look at her phone will the police? And what would the police actually do please?

I believe the police can ask to look through her phone but I imagine they would need either her or her parents permission to fully search it and go through records ect or a warrant. Never been involved in a cyber bullying case but when a Friend was being harassed the police didn't do any of that they just went round and had a stern chat (which thankfully worked). I'm not sure in your case if that would help or make things worse playing into the teenage drama?

iMessages will not show on an itemised bill. They are sent over the internet and your provider has no involvement in them.

Your bill shouldn’t show iMessages as they’re free. It would be like showing emails. You’re using internet not text allowance.

I agree that if the supposed recipient has deleted the text then it’s because she knows very well that the number it came from is not your DD’s

I’m really confused re iMessages. We don’t get itemised bills as we have unlimited texts/calls but look like they are still listed. But if they are not, even getting the print out won’t prove that DD didn’t send you the text as the girl could claim it was an iMessage? Albeit it’d be blue wouldn’t it? I’ve no idea what colour it was though. This is so frustrating! There must be a way to prove my DDs innocence or someone else’s guilt.

Texts should still be listed even if you’re not being charged, but not iMessages.

You’re right there must be a way of showing this. It sounds like the school are already convinced it wasn’t your DD, do you know what they looked at?

I think the fact that the recipient deleted is pretty damning but I get that you want conclusive.

There are apps like this where you can create fake text message conversations. Could it have been done on something like that?

Unless you can establish for sure what type of message it was there's little point in speculating on how you might be able to prove anything.

I see that you started the thread hours ago, have you spoken to the police in the meantime to see if it's something they can look into

For example..

You should be prepared to find she may well have sent it. Wouldn't be the first thread I've read with that outcome!

No, 'school' cannot demand to look at phones!!

She will have texted herself or had a friend text her and changed the name... it's very easy, the problem is you would have to show everyone the number who texted and your DDs number.

TomFoolery there is no way my DD has sent it. There’s too many factors involved and it’s seriously out of character. Plus DD is pushing for us to take it further - she’s suggested going to the IT people at school & would really like the police involved!!

Ask to check all devices. I've seen this before when a girl sent herself a message from her ipad buy saved her ipad in her phone under a friends name. She then sent awful things from her ipad to her phone and blamed her friend.

So sorry for your daughter too, what a thoroughly nasty thing to do!

OMG catzpyjamas that’s incredible and ridiculously easy! The girl could have easily have done this and saved it as an image hence it looking like a screenshot! I wonder if there’s a way of proving its that type of thing?
PattiStanger I’m calling police tomorrow. Im not sure what they’ll do. I’m hoping to hear back from school regarding type of message and date/time sent then we can investigate further.

When this happened with DD the other girls parents were very happy to give the school the number the message had come from.

I’m surprised the school haven’t already asked to see that - it won’t be the first time they’ve dealt with it I’d have thought

Interestingly the girl didn’t raise the fake abusive text with school it was my DD. The girl had showed it to friends. A couple of friends then told DD why they weren’t her friend anymore.

That’s very true ExFury and something I’ll suggest to school in the morning.

That’s quite common in my experience (2 teens, teen step daughter and years working in school).

Also have her parents not been involved before that? That’s another key sign for me. The girl that accused my DD didn’t want her friends to tell their school, their guide leader or her parents. Which was because it was bollocks and as soon as her phone was checked that became evident.

I couldn't believe how easy it was to create fake message conversations and screenshot them. A 10 year old showed me how.

It’s unbelievabke CatzPyjamas and I’m now suspecting this is how she’s done it but looks tricky to prove. Your fake message has a date and time stamp so at least that’ll give us something to go on unless that can be faked too!