280 fake apps have been discovered that want to steal your Bitcoin and other crypto-currency on Android. Here’s how to recognize them.
It’s crypto owners’ worst nightmare: getting hacked and losing all your Bitcoin and other digital currencies. This can happen just like that, as 280 rogue Android apps have been discovered.
Through these fake Android apps, hackers try to gain access to crypto wallets, and they do it in a particularly devious way.
Malicious Android apps are targeting your crypto
Although you can also store crypto offline, many users have their wallet in the cloud. Sometimes you may forget your password or get locked out by an Android app on which you trade crypto. You can then restore your account with a mnemonic phrase consisting of 12 to 24 words. Many users take a screenshot of this phrase, and therein lies the danger.
Cybersecurity firm McAfee has discovered 280 Android apps riddled with malware. These fake apps are disguised as government, banking and streaming programs for Android phones. Hackers attempt to distribute these apps via text messages and DMs, posing as a company or government agency. In these messages, they link to websites that look legitimate, but meanwhile install malware on your device.
(Image: Unsplash)
Here’s how to recognize them
When a user installs such a rogue Android app, the app asks permission to access a variety of sensitive information. This can include contact information, photos and other stored documents. In addition, the app also wants permission to run in the background of your device even when you are not using the app.
With this access, the fake Android apps can steal sensitive data from you. With this information, hackers can break into your crypto-wallet by, for example, intercepting text messages with recovery codes or scanning screenshots of your secret keys.
Intercepting contact information can also be valuable to hackers. This data can be used to make the next attack even more credible.
Fortunately, there are several ways to protect yourself from this. First, you should never download an app through a link sent to you. Apps from government agencies and companies are easily found in the Google Play Store, where you can also immediately check that the app really comes from the right sender.
In addition, it is important to never give apps access to your photos and documents just like that. For example, why should a government app have access to your photos? It’s different with apps such as Instagram, but even there you can set the app to access only photos you select yourself. This is a much more secure option.
As a final tip, never just store important documents on your smartphone. Keep them in a secure folder or offline document, for example.
