Be very careful if you are an Android user because once again you could be in the crosshairs of cybercriminals. Cybersecurity expert has just detected up to 15 banking applications infected with the malware SpyLoan what have been available in the Play Storesome with more than a million downloads each.
Comment that the malware In question is a new version of SpyLoan, an old acquaintance that has already appeared in some headlines throughout the year. But this time, hackers have gone one step further.
According to McAfee, the security company that uncovered the case, Cybercriminals are not only looking to steal credentials, but they also want to know the GPS location of users and even access their SMS messages.
Google, for its part, has reacted quickly by removing the infected apps from the Play Store. However, the news has left many experts with a bit of doubt, since the company was supposed to have strengthened its security systems to avoid precisely this type of incident. It seems that hackers have found a way to laugh at everyone and bypass these defenses.
These apps primarily target users in South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa, and promise quick and easy loans.
The affected applications have more than eight million downloads, an alarming figure, although it is less than the 12 million downloads that the infected apps reached in a similar incident that occurred just a year ago.
Among the apps are «Préstamo Seguro-Rápido», «Préstamo Rápido-Credit Easy» from Colombia, and «RupiahKilat-Dana cair», all of them with more than one million downloads.
All of these apps pose as legitimate financial services. They offer quick and easy credits, but in reality they are a trap to infect users’ devices and extort money from them. The process is tricky: when the app is installed, a geolocation verification is performed and then the real hacking begins.
Specifically, users are tricked into giving personal documents such as ID, passport, banking and employment information. Add that in some cases extortion has taken on dangerous overtones, since they have contacted relatives of the victims to pressure them as well.
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Tags: Tips, Malware, Apps, Play Store, Scam, Cybersecurity