Finland is currently addressing the issue involving the latest Flubot banking malware which targets Android users. At the time of the report, the authorities have not yet identified where it started.

According to the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC-FI), this malware operates by sending malicious links to the victims via phone. The country's cybersecurity watchdog issued a "severe alert" for this campaign.

Finland Alarmed Over Flubot Banking Malware

In a report by Bloomberg on Tuesday, Nov. 30, Finland's NCSC warned the Android users about the spread of the Flubot malware, which could compromise their smartphones and other devices.

So far, this is the second time that Finland suffered from this campaign since the first event that took place in early June to August 2021. At that time, the authorities witnessed a surge in SMS spam daily among several devices.

According to Teemu Makela, Elisa Oyj's chief information security officer, the recent malware attack is "very worrying" to the users. Many text messages which bear malicious links have been "flying around" lately.

Instead of using a voicemail, the Flubot malware will require the users to click the APK installers which are disguised as the banking malware on their phones. Those who clicked the links will be directed to phishing sites that could steal their sensitive information such as password, address, and PIN.

"According to our current estimate, approximately 70,000 messages have been sent in the last 24 hours. If the current campaign is as aggressive as the one in the summer, we expect the number of messages to increase to hundreds of thousands in the coming days. There are already dozens of confirmed cases where devices have been infected," NCSC-FI said regarding the issued alert last week.

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Per the organization's security adviser Aino-Maria Väyrynen, NCSC-FI managed to entirely delete Flubot during the summer. This is made possible through the efforts of several telecommunication companies and other concerned citizens.

While the country triumphed in suppressing the malware in early summer, the new variant posed a lot of trouble for the authorities because the previous control measures could not address the issue.

The cybersecurity experts said that those who received spam texts generated by Flubot should refrain from opening the links. They are also advised not to download the shared files on their Android phones.

What to do if You Have Flubot Malware in Your Android Device

The Android banking malware is becoming rampant since several Android users from other countries experienced this problem. Just in case you have installed malware-ridden APKs in your smartphone, here are some of the things that you need to do immediately.

• Factory reset your Android device. Before doing that, make sure that you have already the backup so you can retrieve your files right away after removing the malware.

• If you have any bank information stored in your phone, immediately contact your respective bank to address the problem, Bleeping Computer reported.

• In case you experience financial losses, submit a report of it to the police.

• Once you log in again to your device, change your passwords because the malware actors could have stolen it from your previously-used gadget.

• Contact your operation regarding your subscription. There's a chance that it is used by the hackers to charge you unknowingly.

Flubot Malware in Australia

Last August, Tech Times reported that Australians encountered a Flubot scam wherein they received malicious messages and voicemails from people that they did not know. Instead of receiving updates about their COVID-19 appointments, the victims received untrusted links that told them to install a suspicious application. 

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This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joseph Henry