• Source:JND

Online financial fraud and scams are at an all-time high, and to address that, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an advisory, cautioning against malicious Android apps that are out there in the guise of adult/pornographic apps. These apps are masquerading under various names through ads on Meta-based social media platforms, according to the National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit (NCTAU). If installed, these apps can take control of your device easily, and bad actors can use them to drain you.

Government Advisory Against Malicious Android Apps

The government has named a few apps that are malicious in its advisory: Night Play, Reloop, Kyss, Vimo, Rivo, Nexo and Vixa, and has also warned that apps similar to these might also be there that can inject malware into your device.

ALSO READ: Tim Cook Makes Way For John Ternus As The New CEO, Says 'My Gratitude Is Endless'; An Era Of Hardware-Led Growth To Begin?

The Ministry warns that users who click on these advertisements will be redirected to an external website link which has adult content on offer, and they will be asked to install an APK file to access the content inside. Apart from this, some other files disguised as updates might also be installed, as the link will ask you to do so, tempting you into installing additional packages. The apps might install a VPN as well onto your device, which can be used to reroute your traffic through servers that are controlled by scammers and hijackers.

The govt also warns of one of the biggest risks out there, and that is granting accessibility permissions, which some of the apps ask for. Although these features are there on your device to help someone with disability, even this feature can be exploited to get more control over your device. All this can, in turn, lead to financial fraud.

The Ministry of Home Affairs warns users against downloading apps through external links and third-party sources like fraudulent ads, as they may be highly malicious, and to rely on authentic sources like the Google Play Store or other trusted stores, if any. There might be times when the app might also not be uninstalled or prevent users from doing that. Here, users are advised to back up any required data and perform a factory reset, of course, after you have tried deleting that app and it still keeps coming back.

Meta Platforms Remove Dozens of Apps

Meta has been on the drive to delete these advertisements from its social media platforms after India raised its concerns, according to a report from Reuters. The report goes further to suggest that 39 such ads are still parading on these social media platforms even after the government's advisory came into effect on Monday.

Meta's content policy strictly prohibits ads which has nudity or sexual activity, or and advertisement that have a misleading intent or are deceptive and can be used to scam users, so why such content is still out there is a question. Although after Reuters flagged a few ads, Meta had subsequently taken them down.

FAQs

1. What to do if your money is stolen?

If you have been scammed or your money is drained from your account, you need to immediately call 1930, which is the cybercrime helpline number, that to withing the golden hour, which usually means right after it has happened or at least as soon as you find out.

ALSO READ: Samsung Galaxy S26 FE India Sale Date Leaked: Check Expected Price, Specs And Colours

2. Where to file a complaint?

You need to go to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal to file a formal complaint, and it should include your transactions, screenshots and call logs.

3. How to report a spoof or fake call even if money was not lost?

On the Sanchar Saathi app or portal, you can look for the Chakshu facility, where you can report this fraudulent communication.


Also In News