How Geocomply Detects Fake GPS: A Technical Breakdown

[Cloned Boy]

An educational analysis of geolocation spoofing detection methods.

1. Basic methods of detecting Fake GPS​

Geocomply uses a combination of hardware and software checks to distinguish real coordinates from fake ones.

1.1 Checking the GPS source​

• Android:
  • Call Location.isFromMockProvider() - returns true if the coordinates are fake.
  • Checking for applications like Fake GPS Route (via the list of installed packages).
• iOS:
  • App Signature: iOS prevents GPS spoofing without Jailbreak.
  • Checking CLLocation.sourceInformation (iOS 15+).

Example code for Android (legal verification):

if (location.isFromMockProvider()) {
Log.d("GEOLOC", "Fake GPS detected!");
}

1.2. Analysis of related data​

Geocomply compares GPS to other signals:

• Wi-Fi/Cell Tower: If GPS shows "New York" and the nearest tower is in Moscow → spoofing.
• IP address: GPS and IP country mismatch.
• Device sensors:
  • Accelerometer/gyroscope (motion vs. "static" fake coordinates).
  • Battery (Fake GPS drains battery).

How to bypass (and how Geocomply catches):

Bypass method	How is it detected?
Fake GPS + VPN	Wi-Fi and GPS mismatch.
Motion emulation	No data from accelerometer.
Root/Jailbreak	Checking the integrity of the OS.

2. OS-level detection​

2.1 Privileges and Processes​

• Android:
  • Applications with WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS permissions can replace GPS.
  • Geocomply checks whether the process has such rights.
• iOS:
  • MobileDeviceManagement (MDM) check: Corporate devices may have custom settings.

2.2. Timestamps​

• Real GPS updates smoothly (even while moving).
• Fake GPS often gives:
  • Sharp "jumps" between points.
  • No error (real GPS has noise of ±5–50 m).

3. Hardware checks​

• Trusted Execution Environment (TEE):
  • Reliable GPS chips (such as those in Samsung Knox) transmit data in encrypted form.
• SIM card integration:
  • Checking the MCC/MNC code of the operator vs the declared GPS country.

Example:
If GPS shows USA, but SIM belongs to Russian operator (MCC 250) → suspicion.

4. Legal Alternatives for Testing​

For developers and researchers:

1. Android Emulator:
   

   adb emu geo fix -122.084 37.422 # Set test coordinates

2. iOS Simulator (Xcode):
   

   xcrun simctl location booted set 37.332 -122.030 # Simulate location

3. White VPN/Proxies:
   • Using legal services (NordVPN, ExpressVPN) with agreed GPS/IP.

5. How is protection improved?​

• Android 14+: Block Fake GPS for banking apps.
• Quantum Algorithms: In the future, cryptographically binding GPS to the device.
• Behavior analysis: AI learns to distinguish bots from humans (for example, by map usage patterns).

Conclusion​

Geocomply detects Fake GPS by:
Checking the source of coordinates (Mock Provider, root).
Comparing with Wi-Fi/IP/data.
Analyzing the behavior of the device.

For legal research:

• Use official APIs (Google Location Services).
• Test in emulators with the consent of the system owner.

Want to dig deeper into a specific method (for example, how isFromMockProvider works at the kernel level)? Or are you interested in similar systems in banking applications?