Qtel announces that it has detected a virus affecting some 24,000 handsets of its customers

Qtel today announced that it has detected a virus affecting some 24,000 handsets of its customers and has taken immediate action to resolve the issue.

“The virus mainly infects  handsets that use Symbian 60 system, including Nokia 3230, 6260, 6600, 6620, 6630, 6670, 6680, 6681, 6682, 7610, N70, N90, N72, N73, N80, N91, N95, E50, E 65 and E90 and Sony Ericcson P900, P910, P910i; and force them to automatically send forth  a large number of SMS messages to special numbers without the user’s knowledge. Qtel customers who are infected should by now have received an SMS specifying how to clean the virus. Qtel’s Customer Service and Call Centers are on standby to help all our customers who have difficulty in following the instructions,” said Adel Al Mutawa, Qtel.
 
Customers who have already received an SMS message from Qtel may find their outgoing SMS blocked until the virus is cleaned from the handsets. This can be done by following one of several ways; either by clicking the link in the message they receive to clean the handsets by themselves, or by visiting Qtel shops at Al Sadd, City Centre, Najada, AlKhor, Wakra, Salwa.

Qtel’s 3rd party distributors and premium dealers are supportive and keen to assist in thwarting the virus. Customers can visit the following shops to install the antivirus free of charge:

·         Q-Post main branch

·         CGC Nokia’s Main Showroom (Al Nasser St), Sehati (Salwa Road - Ladies only) and City Center Mall

·         Jumbo Centre at The Centre and Musherib

·         Starlink:  Industrial Area, Souq Al Attiya, AlMeera at Muntazah and Royal Plaza.

·         Family Food Center: Al Nasser St, Airport, Al Rayyan

“We have tried to make the cure as convenient as possible,” continued Adel, “and encourage our customers who have received an SMS recently from us to act by the end of the month to curb the virus from spreading further, and to avoid the possibility of disconnecting their phone lines, or the chance of paying high charges if they use their handsets in roaming networks.

Adel concluded “Mobile users around the world have been affected by this virus which can infect mobile phones by exchanging messages between them through different means such like Bluetooth communications, but our tool will remove it quickly and effectively”. 

23/4/2008