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A new warning has been sent to Android phone users about a threat that has already cost millions of dollars in cash.
The alert comes from the Zimperium security team, who have discovered a new type of malware called GriftHorse. It is believed that this bank account hacking problem actually managed to infect millions of devices and then entangled unsuspecting users with expensive monthly subscriptions without their permission.
GriftHorse employs a well-known hacking tactic, hiding it in seemingly harmless apps. Once installed, it starts bombarding users with alerts telling them that they have won a prize and need to claim their victory immediately.
These endless popups reappear no less than five times per hour, often causing a phone user to accept money just to stop the persistent alerts.
Zimperium says that when the invitation to receive the prize is accepted, the malware redirects the victim to a geographic webpage where they are asked to submit their phone numbers for verification.
But in fact, they give their details to the premium SMS service which then starts charging their phone bill of € 30 per month.
The impact of the theft is not immediately noticed by the victim, and is likely to continue for months before it is discovered. It is believed that this tactic has already led to the theft of hundreds of millions of euros.
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Now the infected apps have been reported to Google and blocked from the play store, but it is necessary that you check your device to remove all the apps from the list which can be found here.
Below are some of the most common apps that got infected with GriftHorse.
• Handy Translator Pro – 1 million downloads.
• Heart Rate and Pulse Tracker – Nearly 500,000 downloads.
• Bus – Metrolis 2021 – nearly 500,000 downloads.
• Fingerprint changer – Almost 500,000 downloads.
• Bus Driving Simulator – nearly 500,000 downloads.
• OFFRoaders – Survive – Almost 500,000 downloads.
• Amazing video editor – Almost 500,000 downloads.
• Horoscope: Fortune – nearly 100,000 downloads.
• PhoneControl Block Spam Calls – Almost 100,000 downloads.
• SnapLens – Photo Translator – Almost 100,000 downloads.
Speaking of the threat, Zimperium said in a blog post: “With the increasing use of mobile devices in everyday life, it is not surprising to see cybercriminals targeting these financial crime terminals. Zimperium zLabs recently discovered a premium mobile services campaign with over 10 million victims worldwide, and the total amount stolen could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars. While typical premium service scams take advantage of phishing techniques , this specific global scam has been hiding behind malicious Android apps that act like Trojans, allowing user interactions to be taken advantage of to increase spread and contagion. “
Source: Express
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