Cyber Scam in the time of misery

I recently got a forwarded message from a friend saying you can now measure the oxygen content of your blood with the help of an app. As the virus takes its toll, messages such as these are making the rounds on social media to trap the gullible. First, let’s look at the mobile app.

Fake pulse oximeter

Some apps claim that the oxygen saturation in your haemoglobin (SpO2) can be measured by placing a finger on the camera of a mobile phone. This is a false claim.

A pulse oximeter measures light transmission or reflection from a body segment such as a finger at two different wavelengths, red and infrared. Ordinary smartphones do not have infrared technology. Once the app is installed, it will ask permission to access your GPS, memory card and Bluetooth.

These are basically spyware that try to access your photo gallery, contacts and stored documents. They may steal your banking credentials and read your OTP.

What is…