McAfee Escobar Malware: How to Prevent Your Bank Account From Being Stolen

A fake McAfee app called "Escobar" has occurred recently, trying to steal victims' bank accounts by disguising the popular anti-virus. One obvious drawdown is that it can only be installed through third-party app stores.

A New Malware Called 'Escobar' Has Been Spotted

According to the story by Mashable, smartphones have become a larger part of people's lives as more and more people depend on them. With that, phone banking has also become increasingly popular as a more convenient way for people to send and receive money.

Due to the popularity of mobile banking, hackers have also adopted this trend and are now targeting users' mobile bank accounts. With that, a new Android banking malware called the Escobar was spotted trying to steal one-time passwords from Google Authenticator.

Escobar Pretends to be the McAfee Anti-Virus

As per the report, the malware is disguising itself as the popular McAfee antivirus app. However, the large difference is that the app isn't available on the Google Play Store but rather downloadable through a third-party app store.

One reason why people are downloading the app is that they are tricked by the fake app feigning as real McAfee. As per Mashable, the app can steal the victims' media files, SMS texts, and more.

Escobar Malware First Spotted by MalwareHunterTeam

Aside from just stealing certain data from its users, the app is reportedly capable of taking control of the device. Once the app takes control of the device, it will then use certain functions like location tracking, calls, the camera, and more.

As per Mashable, the MalwareHunterTeam, a group of bug hunters, spotted the Escobar malware as a fake McAfee app. There were also tips given regarding how one could avoid getting scammed by these third-party apps.

How to Avoid Becoming a Victim of the Escobar Malware

In order to avoid becoming a victim of the Escobar malware, users should avoid downloading apps that come from a third-party app store. Mashable notes that users should also turn on Google Play Protect and make sure to use 2FA.

One way to increase the security of one's device is to have an official antivirus installed coming from Google Play and not other third-party websites. However, there is a way to remove the Escobar malware should it already be installed in one's phone.

How to Remove the Escobar Malware from Your Device

The first thing one should do is to back up their files on their Google account. After this, it is important to put the phone's connection to Airplane Mode and remove the SIM card.

Once the SIM is removed, users should perform a Factory reset. It is also important to file a report to the bank should any user suspect that the malware has been affected.

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Urian B.