https://wccftech.com/fake-covid-19-tracking-app-found-to-infect-phones-with-ransomware/

Every catastrophic event is made worse by unscrupulous actors aiming to make a buck. We've seen several instances of people hoarding essential supplies and selling them at exorbitant prices online. Now, there's new ransomware floating about that doubles up as an app that claims to provide critical information about the COVID-19 epidemic.

According to a report by Domain Tools, the app first made its appearance on a website (I haven't included the URL here for security reasons. You can find it on the link above if you want to know more about it.) that redirects you to a third-party app repository. It isn't much of a red flag, considering that a lot of apps are hosted outside of the Play Store. However, once you install the app, it asks for a host of permissions, which are unnecessary for an app that just shows statistics.

Some of the claims that the app makes are downright outrageous. For example, the app claims that it can alert you when an infected individual is in your vicinity. Should you grant the app the permissions it asks for; it'll lock down your phone and display the following prompt.