QuickCheck: Are Android users in danger of losing money due to rogue file downloads?

RECENTLY, there have been accounts of scam victims losing money after downloading certain files that enable their bank accounts to be emptied of their cash savings.

Are scammers using the Android Package Kit (APK) files to pull off this latest scheme?

Verdict:

TRUE

The police, through the Bukit Aman Commercial Criminal Investigation Department, have detected the existence of a new fraud modus operandi through the use of APK files that can cause victims to lose money from their bank accounts.

Investigations showed that all arrested suspects operated with the following method: Fake accounts were created on notable chatting sites.

Victims who wished to develop a closer relationship with the holders of such accounts were made an offer to view pictures and videos on another application, which would be sent through an APK file.

The victims were also required to buy a token before accessing the said app. Once successfully installed, the app would cause transactions of money withdrawals from the victim’s bank account.

In a statement on its official Facebook page, the police urged the public to heed the following warning:

1. Do not download and install APK files that are sent to your smartphone by unknown individuals.

2. Avoid installing APK apps from an unverified source.

3. The safety of the short messaging service (SMS) system on your mobile phone must be preserved, as it will receive One Time Password (OTP) SMS from all sorts of apps on your device. Avoid installing apps from suspicious sources.

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