Android owners warned of horrific attack that could lock them out of their phone and erase all their photos

ANDROID owners have been warned about a vicious attack that is capable of blocking access to their phone and deleting precious photos.

The latest worrying ploy deployed by cybercriminals specifically targets people with older devices, according to experts.

These devices tend to no longer receive important security updates that would normally fix vulnerabilities and bugs.

Most of the victims had Samsung phones – the biggest Android smartphone maker – followed closely by Xiaomi, Vivo and Huawei, according to Check Point.

It leverages deceptive tactics to manipulate user trust and exploit user interactions

Checkpoint

Some attack victims receive an ominous ransom note from fraudsters telling them to “message me on Telegram to resolve this issue.”

Criminals hack into people’s phones, tricking them into installing dubious apps that steal well-known names.

They range from Instagram and WhatsApp, to shopping platforms and antivirus apps, which are downloaded on the internet instead of Google Play, where it is safer.

“Depending on the attacker’s modifications, the malware may request permissions for notifications or device administrator rights, or stealthily seek minimal sensitive permissions (such as SMS, call logs, and contacts) in its attempt to remain undetected,” experts warned.

“Regardless, the malware begins its background operations immediately upon activation.”

This allows them to perform a series of merciless tasks such as scanning your texts and transmitting confidential information to you.

But in the worst case, they can lock the screen, rendering the device unusable, or delete files like photos.

The ruthless scheme, dubbed Rafel RAT, has been detected in 120 countries.

Most of the victims were located in the United States, China and Indonesia, but others were found in Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy and Germany, among others.

“More than 87% of affected victims run versions of Android that are no longer supported and, consequently, do not receive security patches,” Check Point said.

“This malware was developed to participate in phishing campaigns.

“It leverages deceptive tactics to manipulate user trust and exploit user interactions.”

People keep making the same mistake…

Advice from Jamie Harris, assistant technology and science reporter at The Sun

The threat highlights the importance of keeping your smartphone updated.

If you’re using an older device that no longer receives software updates, consider upgrading to something newer to avoid falling victim.

The other important lesson is to avoid downloading apps that don’t come from official app stores.

Downloading and installing apps from the Internet instead of Google Play is very risky as they will not have gone through the same verification processes.

No matter where you download an app, always check the permissions it seeks at the beginning.

For example, if a calculator app is asking for permission to access your texts, this should raise serious alarm bells, as a calculator app shouldn’t need this kind of information to function.

Furthermore, it is pointless to pay ransoms – criminals will keep demanding more every time you shell out.