X-RAY SPECS: THERE’S NOT AN APP FOR THAT

[defrog]

As a telephones journalist, I get emails.

Sometimes they’re warnings from security companies about the latest mobile-phone malware and spam.

For instance:

If you ever get an SMS from someone telling you to download an app called “Infrared X-Ray” that lets you use yr phone camera to see through ladies clothing and take pictures of them?



Don’t do it. The app doesn’t take “x-ray” pictures so much as steals yr contact data, uploads it to servers in Singapore and Atlanta, try to bill you for fake services, and spams all the people in the contact list it just stole from you.

And all because you wanted to see that cute coffee girl at Starbucks with her clothes off. In which case …

Dude. Seriously?

According to Symantec (the company that sent me the warning), there are similar apps out there, so the general rule of thumb should be: don’t ever download an app direct from a text message or email, even if it appears to be from someone you know.

Which you should already know if you have experience with computers. Remember those emails you would get with an .exe attachment and the subject line: “FUNNY ANIMATION ROTFLMAO YOU GOTTA SEE THIS” that experts told you not to open because they were malware?

Same rules apply.

Yr welcome.

For yr protection,

This is dF