Odisha Cops Issue Alert As Joker Malware Returns To Haunt Android Apps

Bhubaneswar: Odisha police have warned the citizens against the Joker malware which has been found in Android Application a year after Google removed the app from Play Store.

“BEWARE! THE JOKER IS BACK ON ANDROID MALWARE STEALS THROUGH AD TRICKERY,” the message was tweeted from Jagatsinghpur SP’s handle.

“Don’t respond to these type of messages

Do not click on any suspicious blue links

Never click on suspicious links sent to you through emails or SMS,” the tweet added.

According to cops, Joker is a Trojan malware that sneaks into a user’s mobile device via applications and then secretly collects data that the app uses to subscribe to premium subscriptions without the users’ knowledge or consent.

Primarily targeting Android users, the spyware is designed to steal SMS messages, contact lists and device information.

“Uninstall suspicious apps and protect your Android device by installing a reliable anti-virus software. Revoke permission to any app that may have SMS access, unsubscribe from any platform which you do not recognise and do not store passwords and net-banking information on your devices,” the Jagatsinghpur SP said.

A few Google Play Store applications were recently detected to be infected with Joker malware. Auxiliary Message, Fast Magic SMS, Free CamScanner, Super Message, Element Scanner, Go messages, Travel Wallpapers and Super SMS are the eight apps infected by the Joker virus.

What is Joker Malware

The Joker is Trojan malware that steals money from users by automatically subscribing them to paid subscriptions without the users’ consent. The application first simulates interaction with advertisements without users’ knowledge and then steals the victim’s messages including OTP to authenticate payments.

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