M.Krishnamoorthy
A media coach, adjunct professor and author
Do you know scammers can take over your phone and steal money from your bank account?
Watch this 4.15-minute Channel News Asia well-investigated video to educate yourself on how scammers as remote as Vietnam or anywhere else can take control of your Android mobile phone. This is a highly recommended video if you want to safely see that your money is siphoned off from your bank account.
According to the Global Tech Council, Vietnam is among the world’s top 10 cybercrime hotspots. Like in Singapore, cyber-attacks in Vietnam mostly take place on Android.
While watching this short video, you can get information on:
- How a malware scam unfolded
- A scammer hijacked the mobile phone
- How scammers control your phone through malware
- Signs your phone has malware
- What to do if your phone is infected with malware
Junia Tan in Singapore wanted a good deal: a fried chicken dinner with free delivery, as promised by the advertisement she saw on Facebook.
What was the catch? She eventually had to download an app to complete the payment. Little did she know she was about to install malicious software, or malware, on her phone. Please take a look at the full-investigation story in Part 1.
Responding to what seems like a Facebook or Instagram ad for a good deal (super bargain) could lead to your bank account being emptied.
Here are the tell-tale signs that a malware app infects your phone and what you can do before it’s too late.
Between January and August, at least RM70 million has been lost in malware scams in Singapore.
Malware is designed to gain unauthorised access to a device’s operating system.
Channel News Asia’s programme Talking Point explores the inner workings of this scam tactic—and why Android and iPhone users should take heed. Watch the full episode.
Luckily for Junia, she caught on to the scam just in time. After downloading the app, she noticed her Facebook app flickering. Then, her banking apps flashed up on the screen.
“OMG. And then it hit me. (The scammer) is controlling my phone remotely,” said Junia.
She shut down her phone, then called one bank after another and even ran to a branch to get help. Ultimately, she did not lose any money from her four accounts.
When downloading third-party apps, users will see an Android Package Kit (APK) file, which is a file format for all Android apps. The iPhone operating system (iOS) cannot open this file.
A spokesperson for Google said a “community-based, open-source platform” has always been the concept behind Android.
“We don’t try to restrict users to one source of downloads or one single type of app that they can use,” said lead threat intelligence adviser Lim Yihao in Google’s subsidiary cybersecurity firm, Mandiant Intelligence.
“You can be vulnerable if you make the wrong choice or are being tricked into downloading something malicious. But we also give users more options (for) the kind of applications they want.”
He said that to keep users safe, Google scans apps in its app store before they are allowed. But some scammers have found a loophole: app updates.
Google has a Play Protect malware protection system. Like antivirus software, it scans apps for malicious behaviour before downloading them from the Play Store.
Freelance Writer M. Krishnamoorthy (www.imkrishna.net) is a media coach, adjunct professor and undercover journalist. He has freelanced with Bernama, NST, The Star, and Malaysiakini. He also freelances as a fixer/coordinator for CNN, BBC, German and Australian Television networks and the New York Times. As an undercover journalist, he has highlighted society's concerns.
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