Beware This Malware That Tricks You Into Revealing Your Login Details

How careful is your team with online security? You’re probably familiar with phishing scams, suspicious links, and risky downloads, but a new and particularly deceptive malware could catch you off guard.

This sneaky malware, part of a growing threat called “Amadey,” uses frustration as a weapon to trick users into giving up their Google login credentials.

How It Works

The malware forces your computer into “kiosk mode”—a feature usually meant for public kiosks that limits browsing to a single full-screen window. In this mode, your browser goes fullscreen without any of the usual navigation buttons, like the address bar or menus. You’re then sent to a fake Google password reset page.

Naturally, you’d think pressing the Esc or F11 keys would get you out of fullscreen mode, but not this time. With this malware on your device, those shortcuts are disabled. The goal? To make you believe that entering your Google password is the only way to get back to normal.

The fake password page looks nearly identical to Google’s real reset page. But once you enter your credentials, a second piece of malware immediately collects your details and sends them to cybercriminals.

What to Do if You’re Stuck in Full Screen Mode

If your browser is locked in fullscreen mode, there are ways to escape without entering any credentials:

Try ALT+TAB to switch to another window.

Press ALT+F4 to close the current window.

Use CTRL+ALT+DELETE to open Task Manager and close the browser there.

If none of these work, restart your computer by holding down the power button.

If you suspect malware is still active, it’s best to contact an IT professional (like us) for thorough removal.

Prevention Tips

The best defense is a cautious approach:

Avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading unknown attachments.

Be wary if your browser goes into fullscreen mode unexpectedly, especially if you can’t exit normally.

Never enter passwords unless you’re 100% sure you’re on a legitimate website.

Want to keep your team one step ahead of online scams? We can help with training and security solutions. Reach out to learn more!