The origin of Faketoken malware dates back to 2014 when it was used as a banking Trojan to illegally transfer funds from bank accounts. The malware intercepted text messages to extract OTP.
Now the latest version of Faketoken is capable of sending SMS messages from an infected device, according to popular antivirus maker Kaspersky.
Kaspersky's botnet activity monitoring system detected that around 5,000 Faketoken-infected smartphones were sending offensive text messages to unknown foreign numbers.
Rather than being a spam issue, sending text messages to foreign numbers affects the victim's mobile account bill.
Faketoken malware, infecting Android phones
“Faketoken messaging activities are charged to owners of infected devices. Before sending anything, confirm that the victim's bank account has sufficient funds. If the account has cash, then the malware uses the card to top up the mobile account, before continuing with messaging." Kaspersky wrote in a blog post.
If you let yourself go unnoticed, this could essentially deplete your bank balance shortly.
To protect your device from such attacks, Kaspersky recommends the following measures:
- Only install apps distributed by Google Play
- Do not follow links in messages unless you are sure they are safe
- Install a reliable security solution
I would recommend that you stop using modded apps from popular services just to save a few bucks. You could compromise your personal data by settling with these apps. If you prefer to use app stores or websites other than Google Play, keep the option to install third-party apps disabled right after installing them.
So, have you noticed any malicious or suspicious activity on your Android phone lately? Let us know in the comments.