FluBot Android Malware Is Back: Don't Click on Scam SMS Links!

The FluBot malware is back, and it's taking over smartphone devices. Users should watch out for this dangerous program that reads messages, corrupts files and steals bank account details.

A few months back, hundreds of Android users reported about SMS scams. The scammers fooled victims to click on a link and download a malicious file that instantly corrupts the device. Unfortunately, once infected, FluBot stays undetected from virus scanners, making it difficult to remove.

FluBot Malware Scam Strategy

FluBot employs a lot of creative tactics to trick its victims. Earlier reports said scammers claimed to be notable couriers delivering a parcel. Victims were tricked into downloading an app to organize a re-delivery. The said app was hiding the FluBot malware.

FluBot's second strategy incorporated a scare tactic. According to victims, they received a virus warning saying, "Android has detected that your device has been infected... You must install an Android security update to remove FluBot." Be warned that installing the update meant installing FluBot itself.

According to TechRadar, there are a few indicators for FluBot scam messages. The words are written without Scandinavian letters (å, ä and ö), and the messages include a special character (+, /, &, % or @). Notably, the special characters are written in illogical places.

FluBot uses these characters to avoid the mobile carrier filters. Adding these characters to the message ensures it will be delivered to the victim's device.

FluBot Android Malware: Do Not Click Scam Links

Note that all FluBot strategies take advantage of unsuspecting users and entice them to download a malicious file. So, to avoid this, users are recommended not to click on any suspicious links sent to their smartphones. Here are some important reminders for checking on FluBot:

• Check if the message came from an unknown sender
• Check if the message contains the previously mentioned special characters
• Be cautious of URL links attached to the message
• Be cautious of prompts that require downloads from the internet
• Be cautious of prompts that require smartphone permission

Although reports have been limited to Android cases, iPhone users who might receive this message should also be careful. If the message contains all the previously mentioned indicators, it would be best to ignore and delete it immediately.

FluBot Android Malware Finland

TechRadar reported that FluBot is once again being distributed in Finland. Fortunately, Finland's National Cyber Security Center (NCSC-FI) immediately released an alert to Finnish users.

Users reportedly received over 70,000 FluBot scam messages in the last 24 hours. It is undetermined how many fell victim to the scam.

For users who have their device infected, they are recommended to perform a factory reset immediately. A few more suggestions for removing the FluBot malware are also available in this article.