My phone started acting weird after I clicked a dodgy link in a parking lot

I was at a Starbucks on Broadway in Nashville last Tuesday, just grabbing a coffee, and I clicked a link from a text that looked like it was from my bank. Next thing I know, my phone started overheating and apps were crashing left and right. I immediately pulled the SIM card and ran a full factory reset, but I still lost my contacts and had to change every password. Has anyone else had a close call like that after clicking a legit-looking link?

3 comments

3 Comments

john_fisher14d ago

Happened to me last year. Pull the battery too if you can, and run a malware scan from a safe computer before you plug your phone back in.

the_anthony14d ago

Honestly @john_fisher I feel like pulling the battery is overkill these days unless you're dealing with some super sketchy malware. A quick scan from the phone itself usually does the trick just fine.

wendy82013d ago

Totally agree, I can barely remember to charge my phone let alone pull its battery.