New Coronavirus malware app locking Android users out of their phones and delete a phone's storage unless a victim pays $100

[Bapun]

• The concerns surrounding the coronavirus outbreak are being exploited by hackers taking advantage of people's thirst for information.
• An Android app called "COVID19 Tracker" is just one example of ransomware that masks itself as a real-time coronavirus map tracker, according to researchers.
• If a user grants the app access to certain phone settings, the ransomware is enabled and locks the user ouf of their phone unless they pay $100 in bitcoin to the hackers within 48 hours.
• If the victim doesn't comply, the ransomware threatens to delete their phone's storage and leak social media accounts.
• The website that hosts the ransomware app appears to have been taken down. The app isn't found on the Google Play Store, where the risk of downloading malware is significantly lower.

A fake coronavirus tracking app is actually ransomware that threatens to leak social media accounts and delete a phone's storage unless a victim pays $100 in bitcoin