By: Richard L. Smith
Authorities in Middlesex County are warning students and families about an online scam involving fraudulent apps designed to steal sensitive personal and financial information.
According to an alert issued by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, scammers are creating look-alike apps that, once downloaded, generate pop-up messages falsely claiming that a student’s device has been infected with malware.
The warning directs the user to call a phone number to have the device scanned.
Victims may then be transferred to someone posing as “customer support,” who attempts to obtain passwords, online banking information and other personal information.
Authorities are urging users not to call numbers displayed in suspicious pop-ups and never provide Social Security numbers, banking details, passwords or copies of government-issued identification.
Students who encounter a suspicious warning should disconnect the device from internet access and contact their school’s IT staff. Officials also recommend carefully verifying links before downloading apps or extensions.
Anyone who has already provided personal information through a suspected scam should contact their IT department and local police and take steps to secure potentially compromised accounts.