As a result of an upswing in financial fraudulent acts, police departments have alerted smartphone users to be cautious of any dubious links or calls that recommend downloading screen-sharing applications. These apps have been manipulated by hackers to easily infiltrate the mobile banking applications of unsuspecting smartphone users and carry out unauthorized fund transfers. It has been noticed that these apps are now being shared with the names of renowned brands along with lucrative offers to entice customers. A police officer affiliated with the Kerala Police Cyberdome emphasized, "For the safety of your financial dealings, it is best to disregard any SMS or email communication that urges customers to download mobile applications from anonymous sources."

Despite recurrent warnings from cyber security experts and the police, numerous individuals continue to download these screen-sharing apps that are sent to them as messages from popular companies. The officer remarked that it's not just the average customer, but also well-informed professionals who find themselves ensnared by these traps. A popular modus operandi of these fraudsters is to cheat unsuspecting victims in the name of reward points while using the brand names of top companies.

Upon clicking such fraudulent links, individuals are tricked into downloading hoax apps that enable scammers to appropriate the personal data stored on the user's smartphone. Intriguingly, even without knowledge of the user's passwords, these so-called screen-sharing apps can extract data that allows withdrawals from personal banking apps.

K.V. Abdulla, an IT specialist who provides cyber safety solutions, highlighted another trend - the popularity of fake customer service calls. Potential victims are duped by calls that claim a need for verification of personal credentials such as bank account numbers, PAN card numbers and Aadhaar card numbers without any due reason. It has come to light that a sizable number of smartphone users have responded to such calls, inadvertently disclosing their personal details.

Abdulla also alerted about parents who recklessly hand over their smartphones to their children who may unwittingly click on dangerous links, rendering the device and its data prone to cyber attacks. Moreover, IT security specialists have cautioned against logging into banking websites retrieved from casual Google searches. They press the importance of meticulously reviewing the website address to ward off phishing sites that are designed to dupe customers. Features such as similar templates, fonts, and contact details are used to mislead hasty individuals, they further explain.