Scam alert! Beware of THIS SMS claiming to offer COVID-19 vaccine registration link

New Delhi: While India’s vaccination drive is facing some hiccups due to the shortage of vaccines across the country, some notorious elements are trying to cash in on the situation with their scammy malpractices. 

In one such case, hackers are sending SMS claiming to offer information on vaccine updates. However, you may need to remain cautious, as links in these messages are likely to be malicious. 

The malware, SMS Worm, is said to be copying the contact list after getting installed in a smartphone. Malware researcher Lukas Stefanko find out about SMS Worm. Taking it to Twitter, he claimed that Android users in India are getting infected by this malware. In a series of tweets, he also shared a few screenshots revealing how the malware attacks a smartphone via a text message. 

If a user clicks on these links, then there are chances that scammers might install malware software on your smartphone, rather than providing you with any useful information about vaccines.   

The malicious SMS message sent by scammers usually directs smartphone owners to download a vaccine registration app, which again is a fake app. Once the app is installed on the smartphone, it’ll start asking for access to contacts lists, along with permission to send and view text messages. 

Australian risk intelligence firm Cyble reported that scammers could use the malware for exposing personal details and data on your smartphone, along with unauthorised deletion of files from the device as well. In its report, Cyble said, “ New variants of SMS-worms for Android do not appear very often, and this particular variant is an interesting piece of malware and part of a unique attack. Besides tricking unsuspecting users into installing a worm and other software that they may not want, the worm can also use up their billing plan by automatically sending messages without their knowledge."