Lesson 120 · 2 min
Fake apps that read your messages
A fake app installed from a link can read your texts and codes and empty your bank account, so install apps only from the official store.
A common trick: someone posing as a tax officer, the police, a power company or a delivery firm asks you to install an app from a link to "update your details". The app looks official.
Once installed, it asks for powerful permissions, like reading text messages or the accessibility setting that lets it see and press things on your screen. With those, it can read your one-time codes and control your banking app.
Real government agencies and banks publish apps in Google Play or the App Store only. They do not send you an app file by chat, and they do not call to guide you through installing one.
If you already installed something like this, turn on airplane mode, call your bank's hotline from another phone, and take the phone to a trusted repair shop or the police for help.
Do it now
Lock down app installs
- 1. On Android, open Settings and search for "install unknown apps". Make sure it is off for your browser and chat apps.
- 2. Open the accessibility settings and check which apps have access. Remove any you do not recognise.
- 3. Do the same check on your parents' phones.
Quick check
Keep going
Next →Online romance scamsWords from this lesson
- Phishing
- Fake messages that pretend to be someone you trust to trick you into clicking a link, paying or sharing passwords.
- Data privacy
- Keeping personal or confidential information under control, including deciding what you type into AI tools and where it is stored.