AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- New malware for Android phones can make calls, send text messages and take pictures after the user turns the phone off, AVG security firm said.
The malicious program, that AVG has dubbed PowerOffHijack, works by hijacking the phone's shut-down process. When the user presses the power-off button, the malware takes over and makes the screen go black. AVG said the malware infects phones running on Android versions below 5.0.
"While the phone is in this state, the malware can make outgoing calls, take pictures and perform many other tasks without notifying the user," AVG said.
A company spokesperson told Mashable some 10,000 devices were already infected, mostly in China where the malware was initially introduced.
The company said the best way to ensure a phone is really off is to remove the battery.
