Odisha police caution citizens against Joker malware

Jagatsinghpur SP R Prakash cautioned the citizens that Joker is back on Android applications via a tweet on the official handle of the district police.
For representational purposes (Express Illustrations)
For representational purposes (Express Illustrations)

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha police have cautioned citizens against the Joker malware which has yet again been detected in Android application a year after Google removed several infected apps from its Play Store.

The police said Joker is a Trojan malware that sneaks into a user's device via applications and then secretly collects data which it uses to subscribe to premium subscription without their knowledge or consent. The spyware primarily targets Android users and is designed to steal their SMS messages, contact lists and device information.

The district SPs have already started creating awareness on the dangerous malware. Jagatsinghpur SP R Prakash cautioned the citizens that Joker is back on Android applications via a tweet on the official handle of the district police.

"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," he said.

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

Though all the infected applications have been removed from the Play Store, experts warned that if the apps remain on the user’s device, the malware will stay. In case, a user has any of these apps installed on his/her phone, it should be removed immediately.

The police have also cautioned the citizens if they receive any text message for verifying their SIM card documents, then they should not provide any personal data as this can lead to financial fraud. Last month, DGP Abhay had cautioned the citizens to be aware of cyber frauds during the coronavirus pandemic.

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The New Indian Express
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