Someone Uploaded Your Pictures Scam Explained

Someone Uploaded Your Pictures Scam began somewhere in late 2020. The world was still handling new intricacies due to the Covid Pandemic, but the scammers never took rest. According to few online sources, the crooks used to collect a few photos of the victims via social media platforms and would text them about the leaked photos.

The narrative was very believable and unfortunately, many people fell for the trap and did the kind of things the scammers exactly wanted them to do. In the text message sent by the cyber criminals, a link to a malware was attached and it mainly affected the android interface.

It goes without saying that this attempt was not only a popular one, but also one of the most notorious and outrageous ones yet. As the stakes are high, you need to be fully aware of the situation. To understand how they work and the kind of steps you can take to stay safe, continue reading.

What Is Someone Uploaded Your Pictures Scam?

This scam is basically the crook’s preferred way of spreading malware. The crooks create fake profiles using victim’s pictures, message them about the data leak and push them towards downloading their software that in reality is the actual malware.

As you can tell by now, their narrative is convincing enough for the masses and anyone that falls for the tap will end up losing both money and their personal information. This scam created so much buzz, even mainstream news outlets started to report on it.

Unfortunately, we could not find much information about the victims and thankfully, till now, no significant damage has been reported. However, that does not mean that you should let your guard down. Though the crooks are maintaining a low profile now, they might come up with something new in the near future.

Flubot Malware

Flubot malware is the name of the software which the crooks used to spread. As we mentioned before, the scam texts contained links to this malware. Ironically enough, this program claimed to make the device secure. Anyone that downloaded the program would suffer data breach on their device.

The program collected all the sensitive information and would even copy your contact list to forward them the same kind of text message. This malware supposedly affects android devices only, but we are not sure about that.

To be on the safer side, never download apps from unknown origins. More importantly, always do regular backups and thorough inspection before downloading anything new. 

How to stay safe?

Privacy is worth more than gold nowadays. As the world is getting more digitised, we simply cannot ignore this aspect of life. Whenever you get texts from unknown numbers then one of the best things you can do is simply ignore it. Of course, using an antivirus program might shield you from malicious content, but it is not a fail proof approach.

Also, remember not to share details with platforms that offer way too good to be true deals. Things like survey sites and giveaways programs collect details of the users all the time and unfortunately, most of them just resell the data to the highest bidder without thinking twice.

So, it is your duty to do a background check. Plus, do routine backups and update your device regularly to enhance your odds. After all, we should do everything in our control to enhance the security factor, right?

Someone Uploaded Your Pictures Scam Reaction

Someone Uploaded Your Pictures Scam created a buzz. Many people thought their entire albums were leaked online and rushed to search engines to find a solution to the problem. Due to the increase in search volume, many news outlets started reporting on it and eventually, everyone was relieved to know that the entire thing was a hoax.

There are discussions about this incident on many third party forums and social media platforms. While we blame the internet for numerous reasons, we cannot deny that good things also happen especially when the community opens up and works towards helping one another. 

Precautionary Steps

There are only a few things in our control when it comes to taking precautionary action. First and foremost, routine backups are a must. Secondly, try your best to always track the origins of texts or emails. Most brands keep a transparent profile and are happy to answer all your queries.

If you ever hit a dead end or are being forced to do something on the spot, then it is a dead giveaway of a hustle. Investing in an anti-virus program is also not a bad thing. Shortly put, unless you can contact the official team and fact check narratives, do not interact with any messages, emails or offers. 

Someone Uploaded Your Pictures Scam Conclusion

Someone Uploaded Your Pictures Scam got viral and dropped off the cliff shortly. This time around the quick response from authoritative news outlets and the public reaction on forums helped everyone.

Keep in mind that it is impossible to spread awareness in time for the authorities. So, do your bit and stick to the script as much as possible. 

Did you get any message that is oddly similar to the Someone Uploaded Your Pictures Scam? If yes, then kindly ignore them and delete it as soon as possible.