How can an app on your device be harmful?
Installing apps from some other location than the official app store might be a security risk. Apps like this can allow cybercriminals to misuse your device’s accessibility services or interfaces. That way, they can use your device without your knowledge or gain access to:
- your online banking user ID
- your personal information
- all your messages.
Our first priority is to ensure that our customers' payment transactions are secure. Therefore, we restrict the use of our services on devices which might have a security problem. You can continue using OP-mobile if you shut down or delete the suspicious app.
What to do
- Shut down or delete the app that was installed from some other source than the official app store.
- To find the apps that use accessibility services and interfaces, open Settings on your smartphone or tablet and type "accessibility" in the search field.
- If you are not sure about the origin of an app, check if it is listed on the official app store. Open Play Store with your smartphone or tablet. Type the app name into the search field. If the app is found in Play Store but was not installed from there, you can see the option "Install" next to the app. If the app was installed from Play Store, you can see the option "Delete" next to it.
- If you are unable to delete the app from your device, take it to the closest mobile device repair shop.
- Check the access rights granted to apps on your device. Revoke access rights from the apps that do not need them.
How could the suspicious app have ended up on your device?
Cybercriminals can deceive people into installing malicious software on their device. The malicious software can enable the criminal to take control of the victim's device and access their online bank to empty their accounts. Malicious software often gets installed along an app installed from some other source than the official app store.
Take some time to reflect what has occurred in the past few days:
- Have you received a suspicious call or SMS where you have been instructed to download a new app or to open a link?
- Have you installed any other apps on your device, for example through an advertisement or a QR code?
- Have you opened attachments without being entirely sure about their contents?
These are examples of ways through which the app may have been installed on your device.