New Delhi, Aug 31: The National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit of Ministry of Home Affairs has advised people against a rise in financial frauds through malicious Android applications masquerading as pornography apps. The Ministry said that these applications are being circulated mainly through advertisements on Facebook and Instagram under names such as Night Play, Reloop, Kyss, Vimo, Rivo, Nexo and Vixa, among other similar variants.
The Ministry said that the malicious advertisements redirect users to websites containing pornographic content, where they are prompted to download APK files from sources outside the Google Play Store. It added that once installed, the applications seek sensitive permissions, including Accessibility access, which can enable attackers to take control of the device and potentially carry out financial fraud.
The Ministry further said that some of these applications may also download additional packages by posing as an app update and may install a Virtual Private Network (VPN) that can route the user’s internet traffic through attacker-controlled servers. The malicious application may also prevent users from uninstalling it through device settings. The Ministry, in an advisory, has advised people to install applications only from the Google Play Store or other trusted app stores. Users have also been advised not to download APK files through advertisements, websites or suspicious links and not to grant Accessibility permission to unknown applications. It asked citizens to verify the device and confirm that the suspicious application has been removed. It added that if the app cannot be removed or returns after restarting, back up your important data and perform a Factory Reset.
