The huge popularity of the Netflix show "Squid Game" has been noticed by cybercriminals who are taking advantage of the show's appeal to create Windows and Android malware. [Last week, ESET security researcher Lukas Stefanko warned of a new variant of the premium SMS malware "Joker" in the Google Play app store, tweeting, "Squid Game-themed Android Joker. Running this app on your device can cause malicious ad scams and unwanted SMS's."

Meanwhile, rival antivirus company Kaspersky said its researchers recently discovered "dozens of malicious files with names referring to Squid Game," including "Trojans, adware, fake streams, and even fake offers for Halloween costumes" He stated that he had found them on the Web.

"It was only a matter of time before Squid Game became the new hit," said Anton V. Ivanov of Kaspersky.

"As with any trending topic, cybercriminals have a good hunch about what will work and what will not."

To avoid being infected or lured into the Squid Game scam or malware, do not download or install anything on your Windows PC that attempts to show pirated episodes or show-related games.

For Android, stick to the official Google Play store and do not get apps from other sources. Also, make sure you are using the best Windows 10 antivirus program and the best Android antivirus app.

Many of the malicious files pretend to be episodes of shows or related animated clips to lure in people who do not have Netflix accounts or are bored with the squid game.

According to Kaspersky, most of them are "downloaders" that can install even more malicious files on Windows systems. Some steal passwords and other sensitive information from desktop web browsers.

Kaspersky described a Squid Game-related Android Trojan that opens new browser tabs and secretly sends SMS messages from infected phones.

"The Trojan is distributed through unofficial app stores and various portals, posing as other popular apps, games, and books," Kaspersky said. [However, the malicious apps mentioned by Stefanko have been removed from the Google Play store.

Another danger Kaspersky warns about is the fake Squid Games online store. Reports of a shortage of Squid Game Halloween costumes may have created more demand, and fraudulent retailers offering such items have emerged. 23]

However, according to Kaspersky, "When shopping on such sites, users risk not receiving the goods and losing money"

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"In addition, targets are asked to provide personal information such as card details, email addresses, residential addresses, and full names, which means sharing banking and personal information with cybercriminals"

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In the most 2021 scam, Kaspersky discovered that several websites let visitors play an online version of a squid game tournament in order to "win" prizes in cryptocurrency such as 100 Binance coins. (Binance is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service for possible tax evasion and money laundering.)

It appears that competitors must also provide personal information to be at risk of this phishing scam.

"Needless to say, players never receive the promised rewards and end up losing data or downloading malware," Kaspersky said.