Become Thieves' Gateway to M-Banking: Delete These 15 Apps Now
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - There are many methods used by cybercriminals to drain victims’ money. One of the most popular is the ‘phishing’ method through email or text messages.
The scammers’ approach is simple: they manipulate the victim’s psychology to click on a dangerous link embedded with malware to steal sensitive data, including financial information.
In addition to phishing, there is also a scam method that inserts malicious software into mobile apps.
Recently, a report from cybersecurity firm McAfee revealed 15 apps suspected of being dangerous because they can steal personal data and even empty victims’ accounts.
These apps are easily accessible as they are on the official Google Play Store and have been downloaded by millions of people.
The McAfee report states that these apps have been downloaded a total of 8 million times. Many of them originate from fake online loan apps known as Spy Loans.
Of the 15 apps, three are available in Indonesia. All of them have been installed by a total of 2 million users.
According to McAfee, all these dangerous apps use names, logos, and designs similar to official financial apps. The danger is that scammers also promote fake ads on social media.
The method involves fake loan apps promoting low interest rates and easy requirements to attract potential victims. When they download the app, users are asked to fill in personal and financial data.
With that personal data, cybercriminals use it to terrorise victims. They demand repayment of the loan with super high interest, ultimately making victims unable to pay. This scam targets victims from three regions: South America, South Asia, and Africa.
Here is the list of 15 dangerous apps found, quoted from Toms Guide:
Préstamo Seguro-Rápido, Seguro (1 million downloads)
Préstamo Rápido-Credit Easy (1 million downloads)
Get Baht Easily - Quick Loan (1 million downloads)
RupiahKilat-Dana cair (1 million downloads)
Borrow Happil - Loan (1 million downloads)
Happy Money (1 million downloads)
KreditKu - Uang Online (500,000 downloads)
Dana Kilat - Pinjaman Kecil (500,000 downloads)
Cash Loan-Vay tiền (500,000 downloads)
RapidFinance (100,000 downloads)
PrêtPourVous (100,000 downloads)
Huayna Money - Préstamo Rápido (100,000 downloads)
IPréstamos: Rápido Crédito (100,000 downloads)
ConseguirSol-Dinero Rápido (100,000 downloads)
ÉcoPrêt Prêt En Ligne (100,000 downloads)
CNBC Indonesia’s monitoring shows that these scam apps are indeed no longer available on Google Play Store. However, if you have ever downloaded any of the apps mentioned above, it is advisable to delete them immediately to avoid unwanted incidents. Hopefully, this information is useful!