Αa group of fake banking applications discovered by ESET in the official store Google Play. These are applications from six banks in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Poland and the Austrian Bitpanda cryptocurrency exchange. Malicious imitators use fake data entry forms to fish for credit card information and / or login credentials for users' accounts at such banks and exchange offices.
The fake apps were uploaded to Google Play in June 2018 and installed more than a thousand times before being removed by Google. They appeared with different developer names and icons, however the similarities between the codes indicate that there is only one creator behind them. Some of these applications are based on the absence of an official mobile application (as in the case of Bitpanda), while others try to fool users by pretending to be official apps.
How users can stay safe
ESET urges users who suspect that they have installed and used one of these malicious applications to uninstall them immediately. It also recommends changing credit card PINs, Internet Banking codes and checking bank accounts for suspicious activity. If there are any unusual transactions, users should contact their bank. For Bitpanda exchange users, ESET advises checking their accounts for suspicious activity and changing passwords.
In any case, in order not to endanger a user from phishing campaigns and fake banking applications, ESET recommends that:
- Trusts only the authentic mobile banking and related applications linked to the official website of the bank or financial service it uses.
- Download applications from Google Play only. This does not guarantee that the application is not malicious, but applications like these are much more common in third-party application stores and are rarely removed once they are discovered - unlike Google Play.
- Check the number of installations, ratings and reviews when downloading apps from Google Play.
- To enter your sensitive information in electronic forms only if you are sure of their security and legality.
- Keep your Android device up to date and use a reliable mobile security solution. ESET solutions detect and block these malicious applications like Android / Spy.Banker.AIF, Android / Spy.Banker.AIE and Android / Spy.Banker.AIP.
