Premium Rate Text Fraud

thegoodman

Just when you thought all of Google's drives to improve security on its Google Play Store were paying dividends, here comes a story on probably the biggest malware attack recorded on any platform to date.

Symantec researcher Irfan Asrar has found a piece of malicious code (now labelled 'Android.Dropdialer') that was hidden in fake apps with names of popular games like Super Mario Bros. and the bizarre Grand Theft Auto 3 Moscow. Non of the anti-malware apps such as Avast, Lookout, Dr Web and many others have not been able to protect their users from this type of malware.

This particular Trojan then staggered its payload delivery, thus remaining undetected by Google until only very recently.



Back attack

In that time, there were 100k downloads of the trojan. The infected phones would first off download an APK called Activator, then send out an SMS to a premium-rate number, and finally prompt the user to uninstall Activator once complete.

"What is most interesting about this Trojan is the fact that the threat managed to stay on Google Play for such a long time," Asrar says on the Symantec blog.

"Our suspicion is that this was probably due to the remote payload employed by this Trojan."

The moral of the story: Trojans can't enter your phone if you don't download apps on Android. Oh, and if you do always watch out for apps requesting odd permissions such as 'send SMS messages' such as why weather or game app need to send SMS.

The Google Play security landscape is feeling more and more like the mobile market's Wild West.

Why only Android users are downloading malware more then others?

If all OS have it then download of malware numbers should be the same as a % of total users unless either Android OS have more malware then other OS or its users are not so ......
Which one would you say is correct?

Browntoa

moved as more of a "Praise/Vent/warming " thread


MOVING THREADS FOR BETTER RESPONSES


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gnus

Browntoa wrote: »

moved as more of a "Praise/Vent/warming " thread

Adding thegoodman to my ignore thread as hes a total nob.

pmduk

he's already there on mine.

Take_it_like_a_man,_sonny

As well as the thanks button, can we now have the MSE softies implement a hugs button, I asked for this on another thread, and as well as the ignore button, a numptie button. Am I allowed to say that?

Not, why not implement a straight forward agree disagree button. And when a post is more than 60% negative, it emails the poster requesting they return their input device to the manufacturer.

No, think of the children.

rebootbritain

Barramundi wrote: »

I just received my mobile bill from Virgin who claimed I had spent 10p on a chargeable text to 61610 at 23.55 on 22 Jun 2012 and this had authourised the supplier (INTRUGO LTD intrugo.com Tel. 02070990376) to send me a pair of £1.50 Premium Rate Texts misleadingly labelled '700035628' each week. Intrugo Ltd claimed to have sent these for 3 consecutive weeks untl 7 July 2012. Total bill £9.10. I never actually received any premium rate texts - because my Dell Android 2.3Smart phone suddenly started reporting 'out of text memory, unable to receive texts' even though I have deleted almost old text message threads. VirginMobile have billed me for Premium Rate Texts that never reached my phone!

Intrugo Ltd claimed I signed up to be charged £3 a week to be supplied with 'blue pills' by texting YES. Not only did I not text YES (or have any need of 'blue pills') but they allege that I failed to complete their sign up process by texting my name and address and so they were unable to post the pills! Intrugo Ltd has now promised they have deleted my number from their database so no more texts will be sent, and will post me a refund cheque for £9.10 - it seems they can't refund via my Virgin Bill because I am on a monthly contract not PAYG. (Duh?) I wonder if the cheque will ever arrive?

I raised a formal Complaint with Phone Pay PlusTel. 0800 500 212 the Regulator appointed by OFCOM, alleging Fraud. They promised to investigate. It seems I am not the first to register this complaint. They hinted at the possibility that a rogue Google Play Store App innocently downloaded to my Android 2.3 Smartphone might have sent the sign up text without my knowledge. I wonder if such a rogue App could also have generated 'out of text memory reports' which prevented me being aware of these unsolicited incoming Premium Rate Texts until my bill arrived.

Can anyone identify a rogue Android App that does these things, please?

Intrugo are absolute scum - I continue to receive unsolicited premium rate SMS texts on my son's phone from @VeooSMS and INTRUGO having been told that this would NEVER happen again and a block was put on the numbers - I've asked Vodafone to put these people out of business as they are damaging their brand by association. Intrugo seem to be the main culprits, they start a business one week, go bankrupt the next and start another one the week after. Just why do Vodafone deal with people like this?

zagfles

Peter_Cook wrote: »

Just why do Vodafone deal with people like this?

Because they take a cut of the premium rate text charge perhaps? But Vodafone will let you bar premium rate texts - I did this a couple of years ago. It was a hassle getting it done as their CS will deny all knowledge, I think I was told 5 times it wasn't possible, but I knew it was!

Eventually I posted on their forum and one of the reps got it done for the whole family's phones. I think it also bars outgoing premium rate so you probably won't be able to vote on x-factor or call 09 numbers.

Vodafone

Hi Peter Cook,

Thanks for making me aware of your concerns.

So I can help you further with this, could you email me with your details via the link in our profile here?

All you need to do is copy and paste the link into your web browser and it'll take you to the Contact us form on our website. To make sure it reaches me, quote the code WRT135 - MSE in the subject line.

Once sent, you'll receive an automated reply with a reference number. Post back with this and I’ll check I've received it.

Kind regards,

Lee

Social Media Comms

Vodafone UK

STARKAT8794

I was charged £40 by intrugo
2 a camrose avenue edgware middx ha8 6et via tesco mobile message from 63320 from march to may 2014.
I was hooked through google play malware which signed me up. I never got any content ie music downloads
i went mad rang up tesco. I had a large £45 phone bill of which £24 went to intrugo! Left me with £1.58 in the bank
got a refund thru tesco.
Watch this intrugo they are crooks i will be taking action via small claims court.
Beware!!
I got a £40 refund to my paypal but thats not the point. I was left with no money
beware intrugo
get a refund thru mobile provider. Never ring intrugo i never got thru to these rip off merchants in three days of trying]
intrugo crooks im after ya

STARKAT8794

INTRUGO RIP OFF!
I HAD FOUR LARGE TESCO MOBILE CONTRACT PHONE BILLS, THE LAST WAS FOR £45 IN JUNE 2014 WHICH LEFT ME WITH JUST £1.58 IN MY BANK ACCOUNT! WHEN I GOT ONTO TESCO MOBILE THEY SAID A COMPANY NAMED INTRUGO FROM TXT NUMBER
63380 (I AINT GOT MY NOTES: WILL UPDATE THIS NUMBER LATER!)
INTRUGO: 2 CAMROSE AVENUE EDGWARE MIDDX HA8 6EG
HAD CHARGED ME A TOTAL OF £40 FOR "TEXTS" AND "MESSAGES" THAT I HAD NOT SIGNED UP FOR OR SANCTIONED ! YER MAD? HISS LIKE MY CAT!!:beer::beer:
II NEVER SIGN UP TO PAID FOR CONTENT AND NEITHER DOES MY SON ,12, WHOSE PHONE IS PAID FOR BY ME BY TESCO MOBILE CONTRACT.
I DONT EVEN RECALL GETTING ANY TEXTS OR CONTENT, JUST A FEW ADULT TXTS LINKS WHICH I ALWAYS DELETED!
ANYWAY I HIT THE ROOF, WENT MAD, SPENT 3 DAYS ONLINE TRYING TO GET A REFUND AND RINGING VARIOUS NUMBERS TRYING TO GET A REFUND AND WASTING CREDIT.
EVENTUALLY I RANG UP TESCO MOBILE, GOT A FULL BREAKDOWN OF WHAT CHARGES WERE ON MY TESCO MOBILE ACCOUNT, AND I WENT MAD!!
AFTER ALL THIS HEARTACHE AND HASSLE I WAS OFFERED A £40 REFUND FROM INTRUGO VIA MY PAYPAL ACCOUNT WHICH I TOOK OUT STRAIGHT AWAY!! NO APOLOGY, NO NOTHING. I FELT SORRY FOR THE POOR WOMAN WHO RANG UP I GAVE HER A BIT OF ATTITUDE BUT CAN YOU BLAME ME??
I AM TAKING SMALL CLAIMS COURT ACTION AGAINST THIS RIP-OFF COMPANY LATER ON THIS YEAR ! I AM NOT HAPPY!
I SUGGEST MORE VICTIMS OF INTRUGO SUE THIS RIP OFF COMPANY AND HIT THESE CHEATS WHERE IT HURTS, IN THE POCKET!
I AM STILL V.ANGRY AND WILL TAKE COURT ACTION.
INTRUGO WILL RUE THE DAY THEY DECIDED TO MESS WITH THE MAD FURRY STARKAT!!
HISS PURR!:p