Koler is a piece of malware which threatens Android users with action by legal authorities if they don’t pay a steep fine, the owner’s data is not encrypted, but he/she is locked out of his/her device until the ‘fine’ or ‘ransom’ is paid.
Honestly? It was just a matter of time until the criminals decided to go after Android devices: It only depended on the numbers sold. Android phones? Sales will approach 1 billion this year.
The method of infection is the same as Windows: Socially engineering the victim to get the malware loaded on the device.
Model of Scheme:
1. Victim visits an illicit website.
2. He/she downloads a video which says it needs a ‘special player’. Thinking it’s one thing, but in fact is the malware, the victim willingly installs the ‘viewer’.
3. The victim opens the malware and gets this:
*President Obama’s image interchangable with Queen Elizabeth II or other ruler.
As with other ransomware, there are some telltale signs that this is not the real deal. For example, the FBI is not part of the Department of Defense, and having President Obama pointing a finger seems a bit far-fetched.
No matter, the next screen demands $300 to “remove the offending pornography and return the device to the owner’s control.
So…protect yourselves, folks.
Source:
http://www.techrepublic.com/article/cybercriminals-extorting-money-from-android-users/#ftag=RSS56d97e7