Beware of phishing attacks in the name of Aarogya Setu app, warns India’s cyber security agency

The most common type of phishing comes from websites that impersonate the bank or credit card company of a recipient, hoping to obtain personal financial information.

Phishing attacks in the name of Aarogya Setu app are on the rise, as cyber criminals take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic for their vested interests. In its latest warning, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN) says there has been a major increase in phishing attacks in the name of Aarogya Setu contact tracing app, as well as video calling apps such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet.

It turns out that scammers impersonate the World Health Organization (WHO), HR divisions and top corporate executives or anyone else you may know to spread fake apps and link to those famous apps that indicate “Your neighbor is infected”, “See who all are infected”, “Someone who came in contact with you tested positive”, “recommendations to self-isolate” and “Guidelines to use Aarogya Setu app”.

The most common type of phishing comes from websites that impersonate the bank or credit card company of a recipient, hoping to obtain personal financial information.

Phishing is a cybercrime in which someone posing as a legitimate entity approaches a target via email, telephone, or text message, and is tricked into sharing personal information such as banking and credit card data.

The CERT-In or Indian Computer Emergency Response System is a government-mandated IT security agency aimed at responding to computer security incidents, identifying vulnerabilities, and fostering effective IT security practices across the world.

Aarogya Set app has been in controversy surrounding its security of the data provided by the users as well as privacy concerns. The app, however, has crossed a 100 million milestone after it was launched to enhance the country’s contact tracing capabilities amid the widespread Coronavirus infections in the country. Technology watchdogs have shown a circumspect view of the app and are of the opinion that the app is not secure enough to be trusted for providing user data in the long run.

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