Tag Archive for: Scams

Check these settings to protect your Android device from malware scams

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SINGAPORE – Android phone users’ freedom to download apps outside of official app stores – a defining feature of the operating system – is being curtailed amid pressure on tech companies to crack down on malware scams that have proliferated on the mobile platform.

Google, which develops Android, announced on Feb 7 that it would, by default, block attempts to install apps from unverified sources that require sensitive permissions, starting from the week of Feb 21.

Sideloading, as it is called, is common practice for the installation of apps for tech enthusiasts or for overseas businesses that are not supported by Google’s ecosystem.

This open door to unverified apps has been exploited by fraudsters to plant viruses. Malware scams left a trail of losses worth more than $34 million in 2023, according to the police’s scam statistics, which found that many victims were duped into installing virus-laden apps on Android phones.

In response, Google and phone manufacturers have had to tighten security measures on their devices in Singapore.

The blocking of installations of apps from unverified sources is part of a Singapore trial by Google and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) that will involve all Android users.

It is among a slew of security features available on the Android operating system – some of which are tucked away in the many sub-menus of the phones’ settings.

Here is a guide on how you can ensure your Android phone is shielded from the malware menace.

Look out for the new software update 

The new Android security feature that blocks attempts to install sideloaded apps will be pushed automatically to all Android devices – there is no need to manually update a device, said Google’s director of Android security strategy Eugene Liderman, in reply to questions from The Straits Times.

The update will beef up Google Play Protect, an in-built program on Android devices that scans for harmful behaviour, issues warnings and blocks or automatically disables suspicious apps.

ST understands that users will not be notified when the new software is enabled on their devices, but they will find that any new attempts to install apps from suspicious…

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Better Get Baquero: New Warnings About Ransomware Scams – NBC New York

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Better Get Baquero: New Warnings About Ransomware Scams  NBC New York

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Southwest Airlines, Coinbase, and USPS: Top Scams of the Week

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This week we’ve found lots of phishing scams in which scammers are impersonating trusted brands, including Southwest Airlines, Coinbase, and USPS. Would you have been able to spot all these scams?  

Phishing Scams

Impersonating trusted brands, scammers send text messages and emails containing phishing links, attempting to trick you into clicking under various pretenses, e.g. offering you a free gift, asking you to verify accounts, or prompting you to track a package.

What do they want? These links lead to phishing sites designed to record your personal identifiable informatin (PII), such as email address, credit card number, and Social Security number. With these credentials, scammers can drain your bank account, steal your identity, or commit any number of other crimes. Below are some examples.

Southwest Airlines

Have you started planning for a trip during the Holiday season? If you’re searching for the best deals on tickets, be careful of the latest Southwest Airlines phishing scam:

SOuthwest Airlines

Falsely claiming that you can get a $100 Southwest Airlines gift card, scammers instruct you to fill out their online survey via the embedded button in the email. If you take the bait and click, it will take you to a fake Southwest Airlines page that will collect all the data you’ve submitted. Don’t let that happen!

Avoid Scam Sites for FREE

The truth is, there are lots of scams and scam sites on the internet and they’re getting harder to detect. For an easy and reliable method of detecting and avoiding scam sites, check out our free browser extension (Trend Micro ID Protection) and free mobile app (Trend Micro Check). 

Both ID Protection and Trend Micro Check can protect you against scams, phishing links, risky websites, and lots more! If you come across something dangerous online, you’ll be alerted in real time so you’ll know to stay well clear   

Coinbase

If you are using Coinbase or looking to invest in cryptocurrency, you should be on the lookout for bogus Coinbase emails:

Coinbase_Phishing Email

Posing as Coinbase, scammers will send you a fake notification stating that you’ve received some bitcoins in your wallet and that you…

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Two teenagers among 13 arrested over links to Android banking-related malware scams

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SINGAPORE: Two teenagers were among 13 people arrested for their suspected involvement in banking-related malware scams targeting Android users. 

The 15-year-old individuals were nabbed alongside seven men and four women aged 17 to 25, said the police in a news release on Saturday (Aug 26). 

All of them were arrested during an anti-scam enforcement operation conducted by the police between Aug 14 and Aug 25.

Two other women, aged 29 and 39, and another 15-year-old teenager are assisting with investigations.

Preliminary police investigations revealed that the 13 suspects had allegedly facilitated the scam cases by relinquishing their bank accounts. Some of them also relinquished their internet banking credentials or disclosed their Singpass credentials for monetary gain.

Cases of malware being used to compromise Android mobile devices have been on the rise since January, said the police. 

This results in unauthorised transactions made from the victims’ bank accounts even though they did not reveal their internet banking credentials, one-time passwords or Singpass credentials to anyone.

In such cases, the victims responded to advertisements on social media platforms and were later instructed by the scammers to download a malicious Android Package Kit from non-official app stores to facilitate the purchases, leading to malware being installed on the victims’ mobile devices. 

The scammers then convince the victims via phone calls or text messages to turn on accessibility services on their Android phones. This allows the scammers to take full control of the mobile devices.

“This means that the scammers can log every keystroke and steal banking credentials stored in the phones and allows them to remotely log in to the victims’ banking apps, add money mules as payees, raise payment limits and transfer monies out to money mules,” said the police.

The scammers can further delete SMS and email notifications of the bank transfers to cover their tracks.

The police advised members of the public to not click on suspicious links, scan unknown QR codes or download mobile apps from third-party websites. 

“These unverified apps may contain malware, which can severely…

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