We have warned you many times about the dangers of hackers and all the malware lurking on the web. And although many people think we are exaggerating, the new hacker tools justify us warning you over and over again. The internet world is dangerous, and everyone wants to get a hold of our banking data.
While calling our bank is common, as many procedures are done over the phone out of necessity or because they are more convenient, there is a new malware that is making this call dangerous, we’ll tell you about it.
A new malware detected on Android phones might make you think twice before making your next call to the bank. The trojan application can detect calls to certain banks made from personal phones and redirect them to hackers, without the person making the call being aware of anything.
The malware called FakeCall that can leave your account at $0
The malware “FakeCall” or “FakeCalls” has been active for just over two years, according to BleepingComputer, but it has recently become more complex and difficult to detect. Although it previously posed as a banking application, the new versions detected by the security company Zimperium are more complex.
The application is installed as a side-loaded APK, as is often the case with Android malware, and requests permission to become the default call manager, essentially replacing the phone’s normal dialer app.
The malicious app then runs in the background, patiently waiting for you to call a known banking phone number. When it detects such activity, it diverts the call to a hacker (who is literally on standby for this).
Next, with the help of a fake visual element to hide the real call destination, the hacker pretends to be a bank employee to obtain your real banking information. Once you have provided your account number and some personal data, they can empty your accounts at will.
And there are other obfuscation options. The system allows the hacker to call you directly and impersonate your bank if they see that you are not patient, or perform other tricks remotely.
It is an ingenious and complex system, but the core of the scam still relies on you downloading an unverified APK and granting permission to an application to replace your phone’s standard dialer. The new variants of the malware are also capable of monitoring Bluetooth connections and using Android’s accessibility tools to fake user interface elements.
Zimperium has detected this malware on the network, although it has not yet appeared in any Google Play Store application (something that happens, but rarely). In the GitHub tools to detect it, a dozen different APK variations are listed, some with seemingly random letter strings, others with innocuous labels like com.securegroup.assistant.
As always, and just like with Windows software, never download Android apps from a source you don’t trust, it can be the difference between a full bank account and an empty one.
