Is your phone camera spying on you? Just a click will cost you plenty

Cybercriminals may be spying on you through your phone camera! Check for signs that show your smartphone has been hacked.

Experts have warned about cybercriminals using your phone camera to spy on you. (Pixabay)

Do you know that you may be easily spied on and recorded through your phone camera? After a recent cyberattack, experts have warned Android users about cybercriminals spying on them by hacking their phone cameras. These cybercriminals are hacking the devices and infecting them with malware to record user videos, and spy and blackmail them, the Sun reports.

The term hacking and infecting devices are commonly called "camfecting". According to Adrianus Warmenhoven, a cybersecurity expert at NordVPN, “Camfecting is not hard for cybercriminals, they simply need to slip remote-control malware into your laptop or smartphone”.

According to the Sun, they send malware links to your devices through messages and emails and as soon as you click on the link, the malware gets downloaded into your computer or smartphone and this gives them full access. This way they can track all your activities.

However, there is a way to catch the culprits early on, but you must first recognise the signs or what to look for.

The following are warning signs that you are being spied on by cybercriminals:

• The indicator light on your camera blinks continuously, even when the camera is not turned on.
• When your device gets hacked, battery starts to drain very quickly
• Random apps getting installed on your device can be a threatening sign that your device is hacked
• If you are noticing constant lag or crash in your device then it is also a sign that your phone has been infected by dangerous malware.

How to stay safe from cyber attacks

The first thing users should do is to be aware of such cyber threats. The more informed you are the more you will stay protected from camfecting.

Apart from that, you can always adopt the age-old trick of sticking dark tape on your camera. Of course, that will mean no one can see you or what you are doing, but they will still be able to go through your files and photos.