Android Porn App Blackmails Unsuspecting Users
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| ibtimes.co.uk |
Being that porn usage requires at least a modicum of discretion (good - bedrooms, bathrooms, bad - churches, formal receptions, embassies, funerals), you would think people would be intelligent enough to avoid seeking out apps for it, you can go incognito on basically any mobile web browser without leaving anything unseemly lurking on your home screen.
If you concede that though, you would at least think those people would retain that little, dwindling spark of brains necessary to know that downloading a porn app from an unofficial, unregistered store instead of Google Play is not a good idea. If you then go on to concede further that those people did indeed explore these untrustworthy avenues in search of such an app, and then found one, that whatever distant alarm bells they still retained would start blaring when the app in question asked them to hand over their admin rights before using it. And yet.
This is as much a warning as it is an article. If you have downloaded a porn app from an unofficial source recently, and it's called Adult Player, don't use it, and delete it immediately. Far from being any kind of standard erotic video app, it's a literal booby trap (ba-dum tish). The app will let you use it normally for long enough to lull you into a false sense of security (among other things), and then it will use the front-facing camera to take a picture of you, locks you out of the phone and demands $500 dollars from you to make the nasty situation go away.
The app promises to unlock your phone and erase the images once you pay up, but reportedly some unfortunate victims have paid and still not had access to their phone restored, or the images removed. If you have fallen prey to this scheme, there is a workaround, happily. By switching your phone off and restarting it in safe mode (it varies from device to device), then going into settings, security and then 'device administrator'. From there, you should be able to remove the app without any problems. You silly goose.
Adult Player is a fairly obvious red flag, but 'ransomware' is not a unique phenomenon and it's only going to get more sophisticated. As was recently demonstrated, with the right tools you can hack into almost anything, even a car, and ingrained security can't necessarily keep up. it's just a matter of being as careful as you can, and not jailbreaking your phone. And anyway, is any app really going to make the porn experience that much more convenient? I doubt it somehow.
Callum Davies
Callum is a film school graduate who is now making a name for himself as a journalist and content writer. His vices include flat whites and 90s hip-hop. Follow him @CallumAtSMF
Android Porn App Blackmails Unsuspecting Users
Reviewed by Unknown
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Friday, September 11, 2015
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Friday, September 11, 2015
Rating:
Unknown
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