Tracker tcd opt out...my son installed the malware app!!

[filu63]

My son has a Samsung J5; suddenly, ads pop up every few seconds and there is a small opt out box bottom left. So, apparently, rather than ask me, he installs the opt-out app as it suggests and then deletes it. This didn't help, so he went to option 2 manual opt out, which involves divulging IMEI etc...I despair of the child... When this didn't sort it, he finally came to me for help. I've tried adblocker, but this is on home screen etc so not within a browser. He hasn't recently installed any apps although 'may have' (i.e. definitely did, he's 15) accessed a questionable website. I'm fairly certain this will be the cause, but what can I do to remedy this? Will a factory reset protect him, given he's already given away the IMEI number?

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! I would go ahead with the factory reset, and when the Setup Wizard starts up, set the phone up as a brand new phone (i.e., don't restore it). The main risks with divulging the IMEI is that someone else could lock down the device by falsely reporting it as stolen to the carrier, and the phone could also be spoofed (such that a person could use their own phone to make it look like its activities are being done by your phone).

 

[Tdubcowboy]

If we haven't downloaded the opt-out app, as it suggested, is there a way to get it removed without the hard reset?

 

[Rukbat]

Even a hard reset might not work, if the malware installed itself as a system file. Flashing the firmware would definitely get rid of it.

Either way would lose all your data and downloaded apps, which is why anything important (and all the apps you;ve downloaded) should be backed up to both a cloud account and to a PC or laptop.