Police offer three steps to shut down attempted phone hack

The CIB said several victims have reported that they were deceived by call-centre gangs and unknown individuals to click on links that will result in the installation of an application not listed in the App Store or Play Store.

The attackers then used the malware to siphon off personal information including bank accounts and passwords, and also to access the victims’ phones remotely to withdraw money via mobile banking, said the police.

If you suspect that your phones are being hacked or controlled remotely, you could try the following:

1. If you are still able to use the “touch” function on the phone, immediately cut the internet connection by turning off wifi, cellular and Bluetooth receptions. Then turn on the airplane mode and delete the suspicious app.

2. If you cannot use the touch control or the screen has gone black, force restart your phone and follow instruction no. 1 to delete the app.

To force restart iOS devices, press the volume up once, volume down once, and hold down the power button until you see the apple logo. For Android devices, press and hold the power button for 20-30 seconds until the phone restarts.

3. If you cannot perform either of the above methods, unplug your wifi router and remove the sim card from your phone.

The CIB emphasised the importance of not clicking on suspicious links or installing applications from outside the official App Store or Play Store.

To report online scams, contact the Anti-Online Scam Operation Centre at hotline 1441. Victims can also ask officials to freeze their bank accounts or those of scammers temporarily until the officers complete their investigation.