Clickjacking, QR Code scams -- more holiday shopping traps
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An innocent looking free ringtone app allowed Internet security experts to track my every move at the mall. They captured every phone number I dialed. Every picture I took and every email and text conversation. The phony app could even record me and my conversations.
"The little app you thought was just giving you those holiday ringtones was secretly opening up a back door which allowed us to control the phone remotely from our computer," explained Jason Glassberg of Casaba, an Internet security firm based in Seattle.
According to Casaba, phony apps are among dozens of scams that target smartphones daily. Another common scam is called click-jacking.
"Clickjacking is strictly just creating images or something on a website which then, as you attempt to click on it, will actually force you to click on something else," said Casaba tech expert Walter Pearce.
Most of us have seen QR codes that you scan to get to a retail site. Some QR Codes are created by scammers- pretending to be a retailer.
"So when you point your phone and activate this scan, you're not exactly sure where you're 'gonna wind up."
And be careful about using your smartphones for internet searches on the go. Scammers know we tend to click the first results we see, and some of those top results can be fake.
"Illegitimate companies can play the system and get their websites ranked first on a search result," Glassberg said.
The list of smartphone scams is endless and scammers are cashing in- because so many people forget to protect their phones- as well as they protect the laptops and PCs. Other scams that target your smartphone: digital profiling, forced browsing, drive-by download and Wi-Fi sniffing. Look up the descriptions. You might be shocked.
And if you don't have good anti-virus protection on your smartphone, it's a smart idea to get it. Just make sure it's legit. You see, fake anti-virus is another big smartphone scam.
"The little app you thought was just giving you those holiday ringtones was secretly opening up a back door which allowed us to control the phone remotely from our computer," explained Jason Glassberg of Casaba, an Internet security firm based in Seattle.
According to Casaba, phony apps are among dozens of scams that target smartphones daily. Another common scam is called click-jacking.
"Clickjacking is strictly just creating images or something on a website which then, as you attempt to click on it, will actually force you to click on something else," said Casaba tech expert Walter Pearce.
Most of us have seen QR codes that you scan to get to a retail site. Some QR Codes are created by scammers- pretending to be a retailer.
"So when you point your phone and activate this scan, you're not exactly sure where you're 'gonna wind up."
And be careful about using your smartphones for internet searches on the go. Scammers know we tend to click the first results we see, and some of those top results can be fake.
"Illegitimate companies can play the system and get their websites ranked first on a search result," Glassberg said.
The list of smartphone scams is endless and scammers are cashing in- because so many people forget to protect their phones- as well as they protect the laptops and PCs. Other scams that target your smartphone: digital profiling, forced browsing, drive-by download and Wi-Fi sniffing. Look up the descriptions. You might be shocked.
And if you don't have good anti-virus protection on your smartphone, it's a smart idea to get it. Just make sure it's legit. You see, fake anti-virus is another big smartphone scam.
It seems this report is left you with question first of all there is no antivius software for smart phones. It doesn't give full info only fear in people which is not totally bad but lack of information only hurts. The reporter should be more knowledgeable on the subject and give the viewers how to recognize apps and QR's that are legit vs one's that are. The reporter should say which type of smart phone there were using i bet it was a iphone and was it unlocked these are things that a good reporter woould provide for the consumer.
 @Daniel Forrest Agreeably the article is mostly fear mongering. There are several antivirus solutions for Android smartphones. One is http://www.avg.com/us-en/antivirus-for-android.
When I find an app I use, I look for the paid version and buy it, 99 cents is a small price to pay to get rid of ads and fake notifications. Apps like free ringtones, sound effects, wallpapers and deal finders on phones and computers are usually full of spyware. Find a highly rated one and pay for it.
 @SkaBob makes ya wonder... are the PAY-FOR ones double-dipping and adding in extra crap too??