Google been fighting since early 2017 Joker, a family of ‘malware‘-also known as Bread– which has been hiding in applications for several years Android downloaded from Google Play cheat SMS and WAP payments.
Joker’s “modus operandi” is twofold: on the one hand, spy on your text messages and contacts and secondly it tries to steal money from you by automatically subscribing you to premium texting services no interaction from you, just by opening the app.
Of the money mined on these platforms, cybercriminals will keep a significant share. In this way, they are interested in subscribing to as many services as possible to obtain a better economic return.
More than a thousand infected ‘apps’
Despite Google’s efforts to remove all Joker malware from its Google Play store, it periodically manages to sneak into some Android apps.
In January 2020, Google Play’s defense systems removed 1,700 ‘apps’ with the Joker malware before they are downloaded by users. And in September of the same year, he did the same with 17 morewhich before being withdrawn circulated 120,000 downloads.
The problem is this: if the user downloads a damaged “app” before Google Play removes it, their mobile is exposed to potential snooping and “malware” fraud until they uninstall it .
Discover it now
Related News
A few days ago, the Cybersecurity firm Pradeo has warned of four more “apps” where the Joker snuck in before Google Play could identify and kill him:
-
Smart SMS Messages: With over 50,000 downloads, this app supposedly let you customize the text messages you send to others.
-
Blood Pressure Monitor: As the name suggests, this is an “app” that is supposed to measure blood pressure.
-
Voice language translator:
-
Quick Text SMS: which promised those who downloaded it to their mobile phone the possibility of personalizing their messages as much as possible.
If you have installed any of these apps (or know someone who does), you should immediately uninstall them without opening them.