Fake letters with harmful QR codes that seem to be from MeteoSwiss and encourage users to download a phony "severe weather app" are being warned against by the Swiss NCSC.

The banking Trojan known as Coper or Octo2 is accessed by scanning the QR code. Malicious actors can modify and disseminate Coper, a sophisticated malware-as-a-service that targets countries in the US, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Singapore, and Australia.

Installed on Android smartphones under the pretext of "AlertSwiss," the fraudulent software may be rebranded with new names for different campaigns. The tiny nomenclature discrepancy between the phony and real apps is more believable since the Federal Office for Civil Protection calls the actual app "Alertswiss." Update your device to defend against known vulnerabilities as a precaution.

Use an app that shows the entire URL and requests confirmation before allowing access to the encoded URL while scanning QR codes. The camera app on modern Android devices has built-in QR code reading capabilities. Turn off any functions in QR code scanner applications that initiate operations automatically, such as downloading a file or accessing a webpage.

Just as important as securing computers is protecting mobile devices. Use anti-malware software to protect your gadgets.

To safeguard your organizational and personal data from new risks, remain aware and alert. Because physical operations entail significant overheads compared to internet hacking, the use of real-world lures to infect people with malware is uncommon. Although it is uncommon, commodity virus delivery via mail service is not unheard of.

The number of people thought to have been affected by the fake letters was not disclosed by the OFCS. It was advised that users who had loaded the fraudulent software reset their smartphones to factory defaults. "Have you had a letter like that?

Do not hesitate to use our reporting form to electronically submit it to us. You will assist the OFCS in taking the necessary actions in this way. Then throw the letter away.