A local organization warns that criminals are using QR Codes to spread malware in Switzerland. The fake code is sent in a physical letter whose sender is official weather forecaster MeteoSwiss.
The alert was triggered by the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) in Switzerland. According to the agency, they are MeteoSwiss and the Federal Secretariat for Civil Protection (FOCP). I have received complaints about fake letters being distributed in the country.
The letter asked recipients to install a new official app to predict extreme weather conditions. but there is no program.
In fact, the QR Code directs the user to download an application called “Coper”, which steals sensitive data once it reaches the system and accesses data in approximately 400 mobile applications, including banks.
“Once downloaded to the phone, the malware appears as the ‘AlertSwiss’ app on Android,” NCSC said. “Depending on the Android version, the app icon may also differ significantly from the original app,” he continued.
Malware only affects Android phones
The NCSC emphasized that the issue only affects Android mobile phones. Obviously, to download an app from a source other than the Play Store, the user must have this option enabled.
In the warning letter, NCSC encourages users to report letters online. If the malicious app has already been downloaded, the best thing to do is to factory reset the device.
Since this is a threat that abuses the recognition of the Swiss authorities, People from other regions don’t need to worry about fraud. In any case, the emergence of this problem reinforces that even QR Codes should not be trusted blindly.
Source: Tec Mundo
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