"The offending apps, which we named CallPhantom based on their false claims, purport to provide access to call histories, SMS records, and even WhatsApp call logs for any phone number. To unlock this supposed feature, users are asked to pay -- but all they get in return is randomly generated data."
"The 28 apps have collectively racked up more than 7.3 million downloads, with one of them alone accounting for over 3 million downloads, before they were taken down from the official app storefront. The activity, codenamed CallPhantom by Slovakian cybersecurity company ESET, primarily targeted Android users in India and the broader Asia-Pacific region."
"Cybersecurity researchers have discovered fraudulent apps on the official Google Play Store for Android that falsely claimed to offer access to call histories for any phone number, only to trick users into joining a subscription that provided fake data and incurred financial loss."
Twenty-eight Android apps on the official Google Play Store claimed they could provide call histories, SMS records, and WhatsApp call logs for any phone number. Users were prompted to pay to unlock the promised feature. Instead of real records, the apps returned randomly generated data. The apps collectively reached more than 7.3 million downloads, with one app exceeding 3 million downloads before removal. The campaign, codenamed CallPhantom, targeted Android users primarily in India and across the Asia-Pacific region. The apps were taken down from the official storefront after identification by cybersecurity researchers.
Read at The Hacker News
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