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  • How to document SMS message for use in court.

    This is for Rogers Users

    Rogers provides a feature called extreme text messaging, which will forward all texts sent to and from your phone to another phone or to an email address.

    As the forwarded email is from rogers communications, it's independent from your phone, and provides proof that you sent a message at a time, or that you received a text from a phone.

    How is how to set it up.
    http://www.rogers.com/web/support/wi...setLanguage=en

    I then did two things on my email.
    (the following is taken from a another post on OD with a few minor changes)
    1. Forward text messages.
    I use rogers and they have a free service called extreme text messaging which forwards any text to or from you cell phone to an email address. The email comes from rogers not myself, so it's independant. It's free. I do get all text messages forwarded so I have to delete a lot of text messages from other people, but that's easy using the 2nd step below. Plus it's free.
    http://www.rogers.com/web/support/wi...setLanguage=en

    2. I then created two rules in my email account. the first was any email coming from or sent to my ex or any of her email addresses gets moved automatically to a "ex emails" folder. Second any "rogers extreme text" email which contains my ex's cell phone gets automatically moved to "ex's texts" folder.

    When I go into my email I don't see anything from my ex, so I can read my emails without the anxiety of seeing her email there. I can see (beside the folder) that there are unread emails but I can decide when I read them. I do get 40 - 60 rogers text emails a day but they are easy to delete, or I could if I chose to create a rule which deleted those, I chose not to. Takes a whole 30 seconds to delete them.

    As for the text messages, rogers communications is sending the emails to me. They are independant and as such there is no mis communication, they can't claim they didn't get it because rogers has confirmed that they sent it to their phone, She can only claim that perhaps she deleted it before reading it, which is of course bogus.

    Anyhow using these two steps has really reduced communication. And I was recently (dec 2016) able to rely on texts sent 3 1/2 years ago by submitting the rogers emails into court, and the judge had absolutely no problem relying on them. Every useful.

    If my ex sends me an email she knows I generally won't look at it for a few days, so if it's urgent, she'll send a quick text "btw I sent you an email" to let me know it's urgent.

    I don't know if any other providers provide this service. But I believe this is better than apps which backup your phone. This system is independent, when I lose my phone it doesn't matter I still have the emails. Lastly last year I went about 4 months without a cell phone as my screen was broken, and I couldn't be bothered to fix it. All the texts still came in on my email.
    In fact I generally have the email of the text pop up on my email before it pops up on the cell phone. That's how fast it is.

    Best thing is my ex had no idea this was even possible or that I had done it back while we were going through trial over 4 1/2 years ago.

  • #2
    To add to this:

    One of the challenges with SMS (short message service) is that they are not persistent and once deleted they can not be recovered. High conflict people often deny the use of SMS. With this service the incoming messages are forwarded by the provider (Rogers) to your email. That way you have at least a third party providing the content. The validity of the content could be challenged but, the party doing so would end up looking stupid for doing that.

    You get a traceable email header that shows the origin as Rogers. Much better to use as evidence in court than screen shots from a phone.

    Also remember, SMS messages are easy to spoof in Canada and are unreliable. There are a pile of SMS spoofing sites that let you send messages that appear to be from specific phone numbers. It is how the duct cleaning assholes are able to change the caller ID on the phone. Same thing is easily done with SMS.

    I won't post any of the sites that permit this nonsense but, be warned that crafty high conflict people often do this. They have been known to SMS and put up the other party's lawyers number and get info from the other party.

    Its really nasty stuff.

    Comment


    • #3
      I know a couple... he had her SMS messages sent to his email. She had no idea. This is while they were together and there were clearly trust issues.

      Shady stuff in any relationship.

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by paris View Post
        I know a couple... he had her SMS messages sent to his email. She had no idea. This is while they were together and there were clearly trust issues.

        Shady stuff in any relationship.
        Problem is if the person in question is the legal account holder they are well within their rights. Just because you have a phone doesn't mean you own it. So, if you are a situation where you are on a family plan get a phone in your name only.

        Same goes with vehicles. If there is only one name on the title they can sell the car if they want. They can change the tires. They can stop you from driving it.

        Comment


        • #5
          actually the feature can be enabled through the phone following the link. You don't need to own the service to do it. (technically that is)

          Also this only works with SMS messages, and not imessages
          Once of the reasons why I don't use apple products.

          It also doesn't forward any pictures sent via SMS only the text is sent.

          Comment


          • #6
            Generally you use texts to use something against them . If you own an android phone, download and install sms backup. Backup your messages to your google drive regularly. You can also email them to yourself. You can restore at anytime. I believe you can backup texts with itunes on iphone.

            Also backup call logs.

            I've used text messages in affidavits to win motions. They can't be easily questioned if you guys are in regular text contact. You can always get your records from your provider to confirm the texts date/time and sender you received. You should have these in your regular bill anyhow.

            I do think this Rogers thing is a good way to be proactive. I'm going to see if my provider has it and if not see if I can get a good deal with Rogers. Rather safe than sorry.



            Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

            Comment


            • #7
              That sounds really handy for non-divorce related reasons. Do you know if it can forward to more than one email address?

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Rioe View Post
                That sounds really handy for non-divorce related reasons. Do you know if it can forward to more than one email address?
                I don't believe so, however most email sites and programs allow for rules to be created which can then be used to forward to however many other emails you want automatically.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by involveddad75 View Post
                  actually the feature can be enabled through the phone following the link. You don't need to own the service to do it. (technically that is)

                  Also this only works with SMS messages, and not imessages
                  Once of the reasons why I don't use apple products.

                  It also doesn't forward any pictures sent via SMS only the text is sent.
                  I received some feedback and it may work with imessage if it goes through sms.

                  Snapchat doesn't use sms messaging.

                  Comment

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