Beware of unfamiliar links։ They can steal your location data, secretly take photos and records on your phone

Some criminals use special hyperlinks that, when activated, steal the smartphone's geolocation data. Moreover, they can make the smartphone secretly take photos and recordings. Igor Bederov, head of information and analytical research department of T.Hunter company, warns about this.

In an interview with Gazeta.Ru, the specialist noted that when the link is activated, it directs the victim to a website where the code is already running, which takes information from the smartphone, which can be used to determine its location. This information can be the GPS coordinates themselves, as well as information about nearby access points, IP address, etc.   

According to the expert, the "tracking" links of people are created by special geo-logger services, such as Seeker, Trape, TrackUrl, etc.

"The functionality of some geo-logger services includes the creation of links that covertly activate the device's camera or microphone. The files obtained in this way are sent to the servers that the attackers have access to," said the specialist.

The links created by such services are usually distributed as phishing sites, which are created in such a way as to interest the potential victim.

“For example, if the attacker knows that the victim is planning a trip or wants to buy a new car, he will create a fake website selling tours or cars. Then he will send the link to that website under the pretext of a profitable offer," explained the expert.

According to him, these services are used not only by attackers, but also by representatives of law enforcement agencies, private detectives, jealous husbands and many others. And to protect yourself from being monitored by geologists, it is recommended to follow the same rules that help protect against Internet scammers. First of all, it is recommended not to follow links of dubious, unknown origin.