Prevent Snapchat Virus attacks on Android and iOS devices
A new Snapchat virus disguised as an original Snapchat application is circulating to steal your Snapchat data and login credentials. Multiple new Android and iOS attacks have already affected many users, and yet a mega-breach has to happen.
Many users are being swarmed by malicious pop-up adds that affect user contacts and send unwanted messages. Snapchat users receive external message links that redirect you to a survey scam, fake lotteries, and other fraudulent websites.
Is Snapchat virus real?
Recently discovered by online experts, the Snapchat virus is a group of malicious program that displays malicious ads, phishing links and infected websites on your mobile devices. It also displays adult-themed websites containing aggressive pop-ups which are difficult to avoid.
Users described the messages as follows
Your friend victimized with a Snapchat virus may send you a message that contains a malicious link asking your email Id and credentials to steal your personal data. But, you can easily dodge such malicious links only if you a have an anti-malware tool.
Another friend of yours may send you a video link buff.ly with the caption “you are in this video.” Your curiosity entices you to open that video link sent from the virus affected hacked Snapchat app account resulting download of the malicious application into your smartphone.
The immediate opening of such malicious links targets your mobile devices. However, an anti-malware tool capable of scanning links online can save you from malicious links of the Snapchat virus.
We recommend using Free Malware Removal Tool that has proven its scanning features against virus, malware threats and cyber attacks.
There exist many social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp that has decreased the distance within the world yet Snapchat is the only multimedia messaging app which is always in the news for cyber attack and security issues.
Snapchat hacking lead to data theft
In 2013 a group of hackers published a database of nearly 4.6 million users and used the information to target profiles across multiple web accounts.
Another incident occurred in 2016, where someone posed as Snapchat’s CEO and convinced an employee to send over payroll information. This hack successfully compromised dozens of employee identities.
Now, recently in August 2018 Snapchat’s source code leaked online potentially exposing the company's secrets. It still remains unclear what kind of data the source code contained.
Snap. Inc. spokesperson said, “In May an iOS update exposed a small amount of source code of which few were posted online. This hack neither compromised the application nor impacted the Snapchat community.”
Today, in the year 2018 Snapchat has reached 187 million users, but at the beginning of the year, Snapchat hacks affected 55,000 users.
Security experts tell that Snapchat virus scam was expected as the similar hoxes Facebook message, Twitter, and Instagram viruses are spreading worldwide.
Given the Snapchat’s popularity, it’s no wonder why online criminals have their sights on hacking users’ Snapchat accounts. Even more, some hackers are already successful in breaching Snapchat’s security to hack into users’ accounts.
How to know if your account on Snapchat hacked?
Many users encounter a situation where access to their accounts was lost while other users were drawn in by the new services and features of Snapchat. Here hackers take advantage of features like “Find Features” and “Snapcash.”
“Snapcash” allows users to send mobile payments to their friends in addition to the “Find Friends” feature that allows Android and iOS users to find friends on Snapchat via mobile phone numbers.
Note* Perform the given steps to SECURE your System Now!
STEP 1: Click to Download Anti-Malware
STEP 2: Install Anti-Malware
STEP 3: Scan and Remove all malicious Programs.
“However, a source at support.Snapchat.com revealed that the Snapcash service would no longer be available after August 30, 2018.”
In the last 6 years, Snapchat has offered many services starting with video chat, in-app purchases, Snapcodes, Emoji characters, online recognition system and many more. However, hackers always have their sight on it.
Few warning signs to spot Snapchat hack
- A user may find some unusual activity on their account.
- Several new friends in the friend list which a user can’t recognize.
- If someone is trying to log into your Snapchat account, then hackers are possibly on work.
- When a user detects a login session from an unusual location.
- Mass account creation on Snapchat through an automated script.
Most of the times, we see websites exhibiting adds to download social media apps for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and Whatsapp. A lot of users questions downloads from third-party websites and app stores.
Downloading the Snapchat app from third-party sources, not guarantees you the original application. Additionally, these apps consist of viruses and malware programs which hacks into your iOS and Android devices.
These fraudulent hacked Snapchat apps are the Snapchat virus that performs a malicious activity on the app itself.
Hence, being on the safer side, we suggest you; download each app from the Google Play Store if you use an Android device and Apple Store if you use an iOS device.
In the last couple of years, the Snapchat suffered from data thefts, phishing attempts, and the majority of these scams obtain users’ login details to access other accounts of Snapchat. Hackers then launch these Snapchat accounts and ask to be friends with unknown friends.
In this way, your account gets hacked, turned into a bot and then used to spread malicious links and Snapchat virus to your contacts. In some cases, Snapchat virus performs these activities:
- Read and send random messages
- Records and initiate phone calls
- Steal your contact list
- Get access to all the information which you provides on social media.
- Even lock the affected device
If you noticed these suspicious activities on your account, you would be asked to log in every time you open the app. Otherwise, you suffer from suspicious ads.
In this situation, you should immediately change your account’s password and proceed with Snapchat virus removal.
7 tips to avoid Snapchat virus
We briefly mentioned you all the instances on how a Snapchat virus enters into your device, affects it and hacks into your Snapchat account. So below security tips will at least save you from entering Snapchat virus via fraud apps.
- Always download the Snapchat app from the Google Play Store or Apple Store.
- Install updates from the official downloaded store.
- Never install apps that offer advanced functionality which Snapchat initially do not support.
- Go through the biodata of people before sending and accepting friend requests.
- Avoid adding unknown people to your friend list.
- Avoid visiting adult-themed, gaming, gambling links promoted on Snapchat.
- Install mobile antivirus and update it regularly.
These tips help you to stress out the third-party sources whose pop-ups are usually malicious. These tips are not only limited to prevent Snapchat hacking but are usable for other social media platforms.
We recommend Free Malware Removal Tool to stop attacks from viruses and malware on Snapchat including other social media platforms on Windows system.
Benefits of using the free malware removal tool
- It deeply scans your computer online and offline against malicious software.
- The Quarantine Feature of the tool removes all the infected files and never let them restore again on your computer.
- Creates the PC Protection shield and stop threats from trojan, worm, adware, rootkit and ransomware
- Acts as antivirus + anti-malware + anti-ransomware + system protection kit.
Snapchat virus removal by uninstallation methods
Snapchat virus is closely associated with iOS and Android devices. The virus takes the screenshot of Snapchats in iOS 7 without the sender knowing. The only method that can work manually against this virus is;
Clear browsing data from iPhone or iPad
- Open Settings and find Safari in your iOS device.
- Choose Clear History and Website Data.
- Tap Clear History and Data.
- Confirm Delete.
- You should power off and restart your device again.
Snapchat virus removal for Android users
- Open the Google Play Store menu.
- Select My Apps & Games from the menu.
- Navigate to Installed section present in the middle of Updates and Library.
- Select Snapchat and tap Uninstall.
If the Uninstall button is inactive, navigate to Settings > Security > Device Administrators. You will see the list of apps on your device. Untick the box near the malicious app and return to the Apps menu and get rid of the app.
Your smartphone should now be from the Snapchat virus. If you are still experiencing problems while removing the virus, you can ask for help in the below comment section.
FAQs
- How do I make my Snapchat private?
- Open Snapchat and swipe down on the camera screen to open your profile page.
- Tap Settings and tap on Contact Me.
- Tap My Friends.
- Tap > button to go back to the settings page.
- Tap on View My Story > See Me In Quick Add.
- SlideShow me in Quick Add button to off position.
- Can I recover my Snapchat data?
Deleted Snapchat texts, images and videos can be recovered only if a back of Snapchat data is present in your smartphone.
- Can I login Snapchat on two devices?
No, you can’t use two devices for the same Snapchat account. But, you can log into two different accounts from two different devices.
Get peace of mind! Get rid of malicious programs instantly
Free Checkup & fix for your PC! Get rid of malicious programs instantly!
