Latest news with #FatBoyPanel
Indian Express
16-05-2025
- Indian Express
The Safe Side
News THE SAFE SIDE NEWS Beware, your dream job may be a scam: Key red flags to watch out for before you apply May 03, 2025 7:02 pm In the 24th edition of The Safe Side, we bring to you tips on how to stay safe from job scams. Through this article, experts will walk you through verifying job postings, spotting red flags, safe practices and what to do if you are scammed. Over 25 mn devices at risk: What is FatBoyPanel, the new malware targeting Indian users? May 02, 2025 6:16 pm Malware can steal your data and cause financial loss in ways you might not even imagine. In the 23rd edition of The Safe Side, we explore a dangerous new malware called FatBoyPanel, how it works, and what you can do to stay protected. When scammers use your bank account: The growing threat of mule accounts May 02, 2025 6:16 pm In the 21st edition of The Safe Side, we walk you through the basics of "mule accounts"—and how innocent people can unknowingly fall into fraudsters' traps by giving access to their bank accounts. Buy now, pay later, regret forever? Alarming rise of BNPL scams in India May 02, 2025 6:19 pm In the 20th edition of The Safe Side, we explore a lesser-known but increasingly dangerous cyber threat—Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) scams. Here's how they work, how to spot them, and what you can do to stay safe. P2P scams: How they can drain your money through UPI in just seconds May 02, 2025 6:20 pm In the 19th edition of The Safe Side, we highlight the rising trend of peer-to-peer (P2P) payment fraud. Scammers are exploiting platforms like UPI and mobile payment apps to trick users into transferring money or revealing personal details. One call could let hackers hijack your life: How call merging scams work May 02, 2025 6:20 pm In the 18th edition of The Safe Side, we spotlight growing call merging scams. We'll explain how these scams operate, the red flags to spot, and steps to protect yourself. How hackers take over WhatsApp accounts and ways to stop them May 02, 2025 6:21 pm This week on The Safe Side, our ongoing series aimed to keep you safe online, we dive deep into WhatsApp hacking. We break down how scammers hack into WhatsApp, why they do it, warning signs to watch for, and, most importantly, how to protect yourself. International Women's Day 2025: Must-have gadgets and apps for women's safety May 02, 2025 6:21 pm With Women's Day here, in the 16th edition of The Safe Side, we're spotlighting smart, practical gadgets and apps that can make a real difference in the everyday life of women. Smartphone lost or stolen? Top cop shares key things to do before it's too late May 02, 2025 6:22 pm The Safe Side, our ongoing series to help you stay safe, is back with its 15th edition, tackling phone theft. From simple ways to protect your smartphone to recognising potential threats, and taking action if the worst happens, here's everything you need to know. Your SIM card could drain your money: A look at scams targeting phone numbers May 02, 2025 6:22 pm The Safe Side, our ongoing series dedicated to keeping you safe online, is back with its 14th edition. This time, we're focusing on the rising threat of SIM card scams. Load More
Indian Express
02-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Beware, your dream job may be a scam: Key red flags to watch out for before you apply
In the last week of March, Manjunath S, a content manager from Bengaluru, received what seemed like a promising call. A recruiter reached out about a job he had applied for through The offer was appealing—better pay, faster growth—just what Manjunath needed with a family of five to support. They asked him to join immediately after three rounds of interviews. He didn't hesitate. With his leave balance intact, he quickly wrapped up at his current job and made April 7 his last working day. But when he arrived at his supposed new office on April 10, there was no name on the new joiners' list. HR informed him the position was 'on hold'. Calls and emails went unanswered. His previous employer couldn't rehire him immediately due to a cooling-off period. Now, with a one-year-old at home, Manjunath is jobless—relying on his wife's income to stay afloat. In another case, a businessman, 27, dealing in electrical poles, fell prey to what seemed like a harmless side hustle. A message offering part-time tasks for easy money turned into a nightmare. Initially, the tasks were simple, and small payments were promised. But the demands quickly escalated. Convinced he was investing in something real, he ended up transferring Rs 57.75 lakh. Then, messages stopped, and the scammers vanished. ICYMI | What is FatBoyPanel, the new malware targeting Indian users? Such scams are on the rise. In 2023 alone, online job scam calls surged by 84 per cent, preying on the hopes, aspirations and desperation of job seekers, especially the young. In this edition of The Safe Side, we break down how these scams work and what you can do to stay safe. A look at common job scams spoke to cybercrime and recruitment experts to understand, in detail, the different types of job scams and how these are orchestrated. According to Harshvardhan Singh, director, Future Crime Research Foundation (FCRF); Vikas Kundu, threat researcher, CloudSEK; and Abhijit Joshi, vice president of products at IDfy, the following are the most widespread job scams in India today: 📌Upfront payment scams: Applicants are asked to pay for registration, training, or background checks and are then ghosted. 📌Overseas job fraud: Fake agencies promise jobs abroad, especially in the Gulf or Europe, in exchange for visa or processing fees. 📌Ghost jobs and fake listings: Roles that don't exist but are posted to collect personal or financial information. 📌Ponzi-style task scams: Victims are lured with microtasks and small rewards before being tricked into depositing large sums. 📌Fake employer offers: Fraudsters offer job confirmations, experience letters or contracts, all for a fee. 📌Work-from-home cons: Jobs that demand upfront payments for training or equipment. 📌Bogus consultancies: Fake recruiters conduct telephonic interviews and charge for paperwork or devices. 📌Social media job ads: Telegram and Instagram are increasingly used to circulate fraudulent listings. What are ghost jobs? 'Ghost jobs are listings for roles that don't actually exist. They're used by some companies purely to build talent pools or test the market. You spend hours customising your resume and waiting for interviews that never come, only to realise months later that there was no vacancy,' said Kundu. 'Ghost jobs are a particularly insidious scam because they prey on hope,' said Singh. 'Scammers use these positions to collect personal information like Aadhaar numbers, PAN details, or even bank credentials. In many cases, they also demand small processing fees, which add up when hundreds fall for the same trap. The biggest damage, beyond the financial loss, is the emotional toll and wasted time, which can be devastating for job seekers who are already under pressure,' he said. Red flags: How to spot a job scam Be cautious of job offers that come through WhatsApp or Telegram, especially if you haven't applied for the role. These messages often use generic greetings instead of addressing you by name and may promise immediate selection without any formal interview process. 📌A major red flag is any request for upfront payments in the name of training, equipment, or paperwork. 📌Scammers may have poor grammar and spelling and contact you via foreign phone numbers or unofficial email addresses like Gmail or Yahoo. They may also pressure you to act quickly. 📌Many of these fake jobs lack a proper online presence, come with vague or no job descriptions despite high salary promises, and do not provide a clear point of contact or escalation channel. 'Scammers are getting more sophisticated,' Singh said. 'We've seen them clone LinkedIn profiles, build fake websites, conduct Zoom interviews, and issue forged offer letters. One 2022 case involved a gang impersonating Indigo Airlines recruiters and duping dozens of applicants out of Rs 75,000 each, promising ground staff positions that never existed.' In most cases, scammers have relayed mass messages without revealing their identities through platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram. While no job platform is entirely scam-proof, apps like LinkedIn or Naukri do some basic vetting. Still, fake listings can slip through, often luring users to shady external links. 'Even listings on trusted sites should be double-checked before you engage,' suggested experts, unanimously. What to do if you are scammed 📌Stop all communication with the scammer immediately. 📌Collect evidence—screenshots, emails, transaction records. 📌Report the fraud at or call 1930. 📌File an FIR at your local police station. 📌Notify your bank to block further damage or recover lost funds. The experts also urged schools, colleges, and public institutions to actively raise awareness and conduct workshops to help job seekers identify and avoid scams. The Safe Side As the world evolves, the digital landscape does too, bringing new opportunities—and new risks. Scammers are becoming more sophisticated, exploiting vulnerabilities to their advantage. In our special feature series, we delve into the latest cybercrime trends and provide practical tips to help you stay informed, secure, and vigilant online.
Indian Express
25-04-2025
- Indian Express
Over 25 mn devices at risk: What is FatBoyPanel, the new malware targeting Indian users?
A dairy businessman, 44, from Dharashiv, received a WhatsApp call from someone posing as a bank official. The caller warned him that his account would be suspended unless updated immediately. When the victim panicked and asked how this issue could be resolved, the 'official' offered a simple solution – downloading a 'banking application,' the link of which would be shared on WhatsApp. The link reached him, and the victim downloaded the Android Package Kit (APK) file and installed it. What followed was 26 rapid transactions that drained his entire bank account. A sophisticated, malicious piece of software, called malware, was the reason. This isn't an isolated case. In recent years, scammers have increasingly targeted users through APK files laced with malicious software that hijack devices. This week, we take a closer look at one such malware: FatBoyPanel. What is malware? Malware, short for 'malicious software', refers to intrusive programs designed by cybercriminals to steal data or damage systems. Common types include viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, adware, and ransomware. Recently, in a blog post on the website of Zimperium, a tech company that provides AI-driven mobile security that protects devices and apps from phishing, malware, and zero-day threats, the company said that their research team has identified a malware that steals from the Indian bank accounts: FatBoyPanel. What is FatBoyPanel? Nico Chiaraviglio, chief scientist at Zimperium, told that FatBoyPanel is a mobile-first banking trojan that has been discovered across nearly 900 different applications, primarily targeting Indian users. The attack begins with social engineering: scammers pose as officials or trusted entities and approach users via WhatsApp. They then send a malicious APK, encouraging the user to install it. Once installed, the app gains access to sensitive data and steals one-time passwords (OTPs) to execute unauthorised transactions. 'FatBoyPanel is mobile-first, optimised for Indian banking apps, and even supports real-time session hijacking. That makes it especially dangerous in the hands of low-skilled attackers,' said Akshat Khetan, a cyber-legal expert and founder of AU Corporate Advisory and Legal Services (AUCL). What distinguishes this malware? 'It uses a centralised command structure that controls multiple variants across campaigns, abuses live phone numbers for OTP redirection, and has exfiltrated data from over 25 million devices. This makes it far more organised and dangerous than traditional banking trojans. It is also a new banker trojan that shows constant evolution of threat actors,' Chiaraviglio said. The malware requests permission to read SMS messages, enabling it to capture OTPs and bypass two-factor authentication in real time. 'It hides its icon after installation and disables Google Play Protect, allowing it to stay hidden and maintain access,' Chiaraviglio said. 'Once permissions are granted, it embeds itself into the system and communicates with its control panel,' Khetan said, Breach fueled by social engineering The attackers pose as government agencies or trusted services, sending fake APKs via WhatsApp. This social engineering drives up installation rates,' Chiaraviglio said. He also shared some numbers: Over 1,50,000 stolen messages were found on the attacker panel, with more than 25 million compromised device records, highlighting the massive scale of this breach. 'The breach exposes how easily users can be manipulated into side-loading apps and how SMS-based OTPs remain a weak link, especially in regions relying on them for banking authentication,' he said. Pavan Karthick M, threat researcher III at CloudSEK, said, 'This campaign, active since late 2023, uses consistent infrastructure across all samples–FatBoyPanel. It's part of a growing trend where everyday platforms host Command and Control (C2) servers, giving cybercriminals both scalability and operational cover.' Khetan elaborated on how the malware acts: 'Once deployed, the malware can intercept SMS-based OTPs, log credentials and perform keylogging. It may also use Accessibility Services to perform actions on behalf of the user such as initiating fund transfers within banking apps. In some cases, attackers use remote access tools (RATs) embedded in the payload to execute transactions manually from the victim's device, bypassing traditional fraud detection mechanisms. How to protect yourself – Avoid sideloading APKs: Only use official app stores. – Enable Google Play Protect: Keep it on to scan for harmful apps. – Use mobile security software: Opt for real-time threat detection. – Verify app sources: Never trust unknown or unofficial links. – Check app permissions: Avoid granting SMS, call, or gallery access to unverified apps. Some malware can even delete itself to avoid detection, making user vigilance critical. 'To better protect users, banks must move away from SMS-based OTPs and embrace stronger multi-factor authentication. In-app protections and local-language awareness campaigns are also key,' Chiaraviglio said. The Safe Side As the world evolves, the digital landscape does too, bringing new opportunities—and new risks. Scammers are becoming more sophisticated, exploiting vulnerabilities to their advantage. In our special feature series, we delve into the latest cybercrime trends and provide practical tips to help you stay informed, secure, and vigilant online.
