Phishing Android App Steals Banking Info

[phandroid]

A few weeks ago there was a developer on Android Market named Droid09 who uploaded a malicious application to Android Market. Apparently the dev’s apps POSED as official banking applications but instead were just “shells” with the purpose of stealing your personal information and banking logins/passwords.The rogue application was outed by First Tech Credit [...]

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[Carl C]

Moderation of the marketplace is really lax, check user M STAR LLC constantly bumping his aps in the just in section......

 

[QrafTee]

Moderation of the marketplace is really lax, check user M STAR LLC constantly bumping his aps in the just in section......

That's a shame, I wonder if it's possible for Google to implement some type of algorithm or something to find people like that and just ban them... or maybe something like their spam filters for gmail?

 

[Carl C]

That's a shame, I wonder if it's possible for Google to implement some type of algorithm or something to find people like that and just ban them... or maybe something like their spam filters for gmail?

Unfortunately automatic programs can get it wrong , possible leading to some genuine developers getting banned

It just needs some human moderation, it's pretty obvious this M STAR LLC has been bumping for months with their useless apps and Google haven't done anything.

 

[mrtrumpet]

I think the safest way to navigate the market, especially with something as sensitive as a banking app, is to wait a bit, then check user comments. Hopefully by the time you DL it the community will have vetted it as Spyware, malicious app, etc..

 

[QrafTee]

I think the safest way to navigate the market, especially with something as sensitive as a banking app, is to wait a bit, then check user comments. Hopefully by the time you DL it the community will have vetted it as Spyware, malicious app, etc..

But that still requires some legitimate users to get scammed which isn't the best way to handle it from my perspective.

 

[gentlefury]

I am all for at least a LITTLE oversite in the market. There is one shady company distributing 20 new apps a day under 3 different names that all do the same thing.....nothing. They claim to show you a picture after a phone call. All they do ( as the very few reviews have said) is either not work at all or show you ads.

If it is adware, I can understand them wanting it out there to get paid...but for the most part the reviews say this app does nothing....which to me suggests that it is malicious. They currently have about 75 of the same app under the name Top Apps, now they started listed under 2 more names and they continue to spam the market.

I report it every time I see it. Nothing ever gets done.

It really is chaotic and this is why real developers want nothing to do with android market. And until something is done, good luck getting any real games on there.

 

[QrafTee]

I am all for at least a LITTLE oversite in the market. There is one shady company distributing 20 new apps a day under 3 different names that all do the same thing.....nothing. They claim to show you a picture after a phone call. All they do ( as the very few reviews have said) is either not work at all or show you ads.

If it is adware, I can understand them wanting it out there to get paid...but for the most part the reviews say this app does nothing....which to me suggests that it is malicious. They currently have about 75 of the same app under the name Top Apps, now they started listed under 2 more names and they continue to spam the market.

I report it every time I see it. Nothing ever gets done.

It really is chaotic and this is why real developers want nothing to do with android market. And until something is done, good luck getting any real games on there.

App Store - Too Restrictive; Android Market - Too Unrestrictive... Decisions, decisions...

 

[discohornet]

App Store - Too Restrictive; Android Market - Too Unrestrictive... Decisions, decisions...

What they need is a user driven market. By that I mean set up a way so that when people give an app a thumbs down from so many people it gets pulled from the market until further review. If these devs knew that 200 thumbs downs would get their product pulled I think they'd make a larger effort.

 

[jsp_1983]

As a new Android user, I find the pre-installation notifications about an app's access to various features on the phone/ Android are just too vague. In the end, I just find myself throwing caution to the wind.

Still, I wouldn't mind knowing what exactly it is they're doing.

 

[Carl C]

what's funny is that their was this type of infiltrating app on the market which people did download........ and did any of these "virus" apps detect it? I don't think so.......

 

[discohornet]

Well but technically this wasn't a virus. It was a trojan program. The program probably worked fairly normal but the info being put in was getting stolen. A little differnet than a maliscious code meant to screw up a computer. But yes I get your point.

 

[XanaduL]

Who doesnt read reviews and such before blindly installing stuff onto your phone? I just have a hard time believing anyone can do this, i wont even download a app if it doesnt have a significant amount of reviews, why waste your time by downloading with no info first? So confuseled!

 

[Isthmus]

I think that the best way to go about it is to exercise a bit of common sense. If you want a banking app, then download your bank's. if they don't have one, then pester them to introduce one. The same goes for any program that has access to your personal and/or financial data.

 

[QrafTee]

Who doesnt read reviews and such before blindly installing stuff onto your phone? I just have a hard time believing anyone can do this, i wont even download a app if it doesnt have a significant amount of reviews, why waste your time by downloading with no info first? So confuseled!

So in your world no one would download anything... I mean when an app is first introduced it would have 0 reviews, right?