volante

A friend of mine today asked me for help with a problem she's having (because I "know about computers and stuff"). She's a solicitor (English equivalent of an attorney) whose client claims NOT to have sent some text messages that may harm her case against an abusive ex-husband. The client is saying that her phone has been cloned by her ex-husband, and HE is the one sending the "fake" messages.

The problem is that all parties involved in the case are about as technical as a dead mouse. She has spoken to a couple of cellphone companies who all saying cloning is no longer possible and have refused to help further without a court order, which would take too long to get (don't know why - I'm certainly not a legal expert!).

My friends client is VERY scared and currently living in an abused womens hostel under 24 hour guard. Her ex-husband has a long criminal record, and is considered to be "very well connected" - if I gave out his name, the chances are people from the same area of the UK as him will have heard of him.

So the question is - is cloning of GSM phones in the UK possible, and if so how would it be done. Please note that I'm not asking for details instructions or how to get the equipment required to do this! I'm looking for a explanation in plain English on how it would be done - explanations or links to suitable website would be most appreciated.