ANDROID owners are being urged to watch out for a scam that rips off popular apps like Instagram.
The apps masquerade as innocent tools and services causing no harm at first.
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But later an update popup will appear, where the real danger begins.
It’s a sneaky way which allows hackers to avoid detection.
Experts from Threat Fabric discovered it first in Wi-Fi authorization apps for Android.
It was distributed through a fake one-page website containing only two buttons.
The supposed update hides samples of something called Ermac, a nasty banking trojan that’s been doing the rounds on the darkweb for some time now.
Once installed, it can do things like steal emails from your Gmail and hijack two-factor authentication codes, cyber bods claim.
They can also record the buttons you tap on your device and even steal login details from anyone with cryptocurrency wallets.
However, the attack can only take hold if you download apps outside of the Google Play Store from the internet.
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So it’s advised not to follow a link posted on social media or other shady websites.
Always go through official channels and ensure you’re only downloading apps from the Google Play Store to stay safe.
There are also tools like Google Play Protect which can help keep your devices clean.
“New tools appear to make malware less suspicious or more trustworthy for victim which results in more successful fraud cases,” Threat Fabric warned.
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
