. These are phishing applications whose goal is to persuade us to take out a fake loan. They lure victims with promises of large profits, and their creators impersonate reliable financial institutions.
Beware of SpyLoan applications. They can extort money
As experts from ESET explain, SpyLoan applications ask users for a number of permissions and then steal personal and financial data, which they use to blackmail and extort money. In extreme cases, alleged loan companies sent threats to victims and their families.
Worse still, users who did not even apply for a loan or had it not accepted were also blackmailed. One of the victims shared the message she received from the blackmailers:
Is your debt worth the peace of mind for you and your loved ones? …Do you really want to risk your safety? …Are you ready to face the consequences?
– said the message.
One of the SpyLoan applications photo: ESET
ESET has identified 18 fraudulent SpyLoan applications. Many of them were very popular. Suffice it to say that in total they were downloaded from the Google Play Store over 12 million times. Their list is as follows:
- AA Credit
- Cupid Cash
- GuayabaCash
- EasyCredit
- Cashwow
- CrediBus
- FlashLoan
- PréstamosCrédito
- Préstamos De Crédito-YumiCash
- Go Credit
- Instantáneo Préstamo
- Carter grande
- Rápido Crédito
- Finupp Lending
- 4S Cash
- TrueNaira
- EasyCash
Google responded to the matter. The company confirmed ESET’s findings and announced that it would take action on the matter. “We take app security reports seriously and if we determine an app violates our policies, we take appropriate action,” Google said in a statement.
Source: Gazeta
Mabel is a talented author and journalist with a passion for all things technology. As an experienced writer for the 247 News Agency, she has established a reputation for her in-depth reporting and expert analysis on the latest developments in the tech industry.
