Google Play Store: Android users who download Signal Plus Messenger and FlyGram assuming they were legitimate messaging apps Signal and Telegram should uninstall them immediately. Because they contained malware, these fake apps were deleted from the Play Store, Galaxy Store, and other third-party app shops.
Google Play Store: Fake apps
A recent investigation issued by the cybersecurity firm ESET uncovered a surveillance operation carried out by the China-affiliated advanced persistent threat (APT) hacker group GREF.
ESET found malicious Android apps “Signal Plus Messenger and FlyGram” in the Google Play Store and the Samsung Galaxy Store that were aimed to infect devices. These apps also had their own websites that imitated the Signal app and the Telegram replacement app.
The surveillance apps FlyGram and Signal Plus Messenger are designed to harvest sensitive data from users, such as contact lists, phone records, a list of Google accounts, device location, and Wi-Fi information.
These bogus apps not only steal personal information, but they can even record phone calls and gain access to the camera of infected devices. Initially targeting Chinese users, the attackers have since expanded their reach to include individuals in Ukraine, Poland, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Hong Kong, and the United States.
How to be safe?
To be safe, please install apps from authorised app shops and only use official versions. It is also advisable to check the Connected Devices list on a regular basis to verify that no unexpected devices have unauthorised access. If in case you have downloaded these apps, then uninstall them immediately and in the worst-case scenario you might have to factory reset your smartphone.
To secure personal data and prevent being a victim of malicious attacks, it is critical to download apps with caution and common sense.
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