The FakeCalls Android banking scam is back

And with better evasion techniques, too

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The scam designed to intercept customer support calls and steal banking data using fakeAndroid appshas returned, and it’s more effective than ever.

Initially discovered almost a year ago, themalwareknown as FakeCalls has returned and researchers from cybersecurity firmCheck Pointhave indicated that it has employed further evasion techniques.

According to its report, the Trojan can “masquerade as one of more than 20 financial applications” to imitate phone calls in a scam known as voice phishing.

Voice phishing malware

The malware appears to be targeting South Korea specifically, a country that according to a governmentreportlost around $600 million in 2020 due to voice phishing attacks alone.

Not only had the cybersecurity researchers discovered over 2,500 samples of the malware, but the “unique” evasion techniques it used had “not previously [been] seen in the wild,” suggesting that a more advanced strain of malware has emerged and could remain undercover for longer periods of time.

That WhatsApp voice message may be a phishing scam>Mobile malware threats are slowly dwindling>Fake ChatGPT apps are being used to push malware

The attack is reasonably simple: once FakeCalls is illegitimately installed on a victim’s Android device, the malware operators’ phone number is masked by a genuine bank number to gain trust before victims are asked to confirm payment details and subsequently expose themselves to all manner of risks includingidentity theft.

Another report byKasperskyuncovered the types of attacks that were most notable of 2022. FakeCalls was found to have been the second most common mobile banking Trojan of last year representing 8.27% of all installs, though it trails far behind Bray in first place at 66.40%.

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The same report highlighted China as the country whose citizens were proportionally attacked the highest with mobile malware, with South Korea failing to make it into the top 10.

With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!

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