PSA: Fake One UI 8 Beta Link May Lock Your Samsung Galaxy Phone

Samsung will soon start rolling out the stable One UI 8 update to eligible phones. For now, the One UI 8 beta program is active, and as usual, not all devices are invited to join. But who wouldn’t want to get a head start, even when Samsung officially offers beta access to just a handful of devices? Unfortunately, threat actors are cashing in on this.

Scammers are spreading fake One UI 8 beta program links to lock you out

A new scam is tricking Galaxy users into handing over their account details and locking their phones. Attackers are using fake links that claim to offer access to the One UI 8 Beta Program. When users click the link and tap “Agree,” their Samsung account details are sent to these scammers without needing a password, fingerprint, or any other verification.

Galaxy Fam, beware!

There is a scam going on with Samsung’s One UI Beta sign-up process.

When users click a fake beta link, their Samsung Account (auto-filled via the SmartThings app, through a deeplink) can be granted to third-party sites just by pressing “Agree” — with no… pic.twitter.com/ndQ89UuYkN

— Tarun Vats (@tarunvats33) September 13, 2025

The problem comes from both users not knowing the risks and Samsung sharing beta news too widely. As a reminder, the One UI 8 beta is only available in six countries. These include India, Germany, Poland, South Korea, the US, and the UK. But posts about it are being shared in other regions as well, which gives scammers the opportunity to target users in countries like Vietnam.

Information (via Tarun Vats) suggests that the scam takes advantage of Samsung’s SmartThings app, which auto-fills account details. The fake link then tricks users into sending that information to third-party sites. Once scammers have the account details, they can lock the phone remotely. The only way to unlock it is by wiping the device completely, which means users lose all data that hasn’t been backed up.

The bottom line is to avoid clicking on any such links and stay away from offers promising One UI 8 beta access. You can check here whether your Galaxy device is eligible for the One UI 8 beta or not. Other than that, always look for the official banner in the Samsung Members app to join the program. That’s the only safe way.