A new malware campaign steals Facebook accounts
This new campaign affects devices that use Android. What cybercriminals do is pretend that they are legitimate programs, specifically for reading and education, but once they are installed, what they really do is steal Facebook credentials. It is something that has been present for some time and it is estimated that it may have affected some 300,000 users in dozens of countries around the world and this also includes Spain.
They are applications that actually act as a trojan, but the worst thing is that they came to be on Google Play. The Android app store is considered a safe place to download software, since they pass a filter beforehand. However, we have seen on some occasions that this filter can be bypassed and this is an example of this.
This malware has been called Schoolyard Bully, which in Spanish we can translate as “schoolyard bully.” They have given it that name as it mainly poses as educational apps that seem harmless but actually aim to steal Facebook accounts. Many parents install these types of programs on tablets and mobile phones so that their children use them to learn.
How to avoid Facebook theft with this method
As you can see, the problem starts when installing a program on an Android device. Therefore, the main thing is to be careful with which applications we install. Although in this case they were even in Google playour advice is still to use the app store as it is the most reliable way to install programs.
But beyond that, it is also convenient review comments and ratings from other users, as well as analyze the operation of the program. As soon as you detect something suspicious, it is best to uninstall the program immediately and change the passwords that you may have used to, for example, enter Facebook.
We also recommend having a good security program. Antivirus will help detect malware of this type. You should always protect your mobile as much as possible and using security software is a good option for this.
Also, one more tip is update device at all times. Many times these threats take advantage of vulnerabilities that may exist. If you update Android or the operating system you use, this will correct certain bugs that can exploit and sneak in malware of this type.