Fraudes continue to develop their methods by masking malicious applications for useful services. They usually use social engineering to convince victims to establish an application that can steal hidden data. As Alexander Ilyin said by Cyber Security Specialist, such applications often offer so -called useful functions, such as health monitoring or food logs, and also promise monetary rewards for simple actions. Another popular scheme said, “Are you in the photo?” Or “Hello, are you in the video?” When installing these files, a Trojan horse that can cut SMS codes, photos and other data appears on the device.
One of the latest threats is the use of NFC technologies when the scammers convince the user to install a malicious application and add a debit card to the smartphone. They then want to introduce an SMS code for the authorization and as a result a virtual clone of the card is created. Such a clone can be used to withdraw money through ATMs with contactless technology. Expert notes that malicious applications often ask for permissions that do not correspond to their functions such as access to SMS messages, individuals or cameras. This should warn the user, because such permissions may show hidden intentions.
Ilyin proposes a few simple rules to protect itself from such attacks. First, applications should only be installed from official stores such as Google Play or App Store. It is also important to check the developer’s reputation and read other users’ reviews. Secondly, it is necessary to regularly check the permits of applications to request and to remember extra. Another advice is not to scan random QR codes that can bring to ID hunting sites or upload malware. Expert proposes to create a reliable antivirus software that will help prevent infection as well as adding multi -factor authentication for important services.
Source: Ferra
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