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01st Jun 2022

Garda issue warning to Android users for “FluBot” malware

Hugh Carr

Flubot Android

Watch out for dodgy links in your messages…

Android users, beware; there’s a new malware in town, and it sounds like a pain to deal with.

FluBot has been spreading aggressively, with the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau taking part in an international operation to take down the software.

The malware is known to steal passwords, online banking details and other sensitive information from infected phones across the world.

A criminal investigation coordinated by Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre EC3 has concluded and involved law enforcement authorities in Australia, Belgium, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the United States.

There are two ways to tell whether an app on your phone may be malware:

  • If you tap an app, and it doesn’t open
  • If you try to uninstall an app, and are instead shown an error message

If you think an app may be malware, reset the phone to factory settings.

“This operation has successfully disrupted and rendered ineffective the infrastructure behind the malware,” said Detective Superintendent Pat Ryan, Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau.

“The Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau continue work collaboratively with international law enforcement agencies to target the criminal networks responsible for all forms of cybercrime.

“The investigation is ongoing to identify the individuals behind this global malware campaign.”

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