Phishing is one of the most effective techniques to steal people’s login credentials. It works by imitating the name, logo and other identifying elements of major brands to trick people into sharing their user names and passwords. Now, Android phishing apps take this technique to a new level.

Mobile Phishing Scams on Android Phones Are on the Rise

As an open-source operating system, Android offers hackers many opportunities to extend their nefarious activities from emails to mobile apps. What is worse, there is no sophistication involved in all the common Android phishing app examples the CyberFlow cybersecurity team analysed.

Instead, Android phishing apps threat takes one of the following forms:

1. Malicious Apps Disguised as Popular Games and Apps

Using the same system of impersonating top brands, hackers now create fake Android apps resembling popular online games, or streaming platforms, such as Netflix or Spotify. However, these apps are extremely simple, containing only the login screen.

The phishing attacks on Android using this method work in this way:

• The user attempts to log into their account and fails
• They uninstall the phishing app, without worrying too much
• However, the hacker now has the user’s login details
• The hacker makes a bundle of login data and sells it on the dark web
• The buyers will start testing the username/password combination on financial apps to check if the person uses the same combo everywhere

In the least damaging scenario, the legitimate user of a streaming platform ends up sharing their account with others. In the worst-case scenario, they end up getting their bank account drained of funds.

2. The Ad Serving App

Another example of mobile phishing scams on Android involves completely benign apps. The app itself does not contain malicious code. However, it is full of ads. If a user taps on one of these ads, they land on a phishing website.

Here, they are lured with the common tactic of verifying their account. The rest of the hacking unfolds in the usual manner.

3. The MFA Bypass App

This is actually the most dangerous Android phishing apps threat we know of. It manages to bypass multifactor authentication – the safest option to avoid getting hacked.

In theory, the username and password are not sufficient to log into an account, you also need to type in a 6-digit number sent by SMS. In practice, phishing Android apps have optical character reading (OCR) capabilities. Thus, they can read an SMS text or even the notification bar on the mobile phone screen.

Best Practices to Avoid Android Phishing Scams

The way the Android phishing app works makes detection difficult for the average user. Thus, you should apply the best cybersecurity practices to stay safe online on your mobile phone.

Here are just a few simple things to do:

1. Install Apps Only from the Google Play Store

Even though malicious apps find their way into the official app store for Android, Google quickly identifies them and removes them. The problem is that Android phones allow users to download and install APK files for apps from any website. It’s a simple matter of ticking a checkbox.

As tempting as it may be, never download apps from other sources except the Google Play Store. You can avoid becoming another victim of mobile phishing scams on Android.

2. Never Use the Same Username and Password for Different Logins

Yes, memorising passwords is hard. But using the same username and password everywhere exposes you to an incredible risk of hacking. One successful phishing attack is sufficient to give hackers access to your banking app, crypto wallet or work-related apps and data.

3. Use Professional Mobile Security Solutions

Free Android antivirus apps are not good enough when most of your life is stored on a device. You should invest in advanced mobile security solutions, capable of detecting and stopping the most recent threats.

4. Use Multifactor Authentication

Even if some Android phishing apps may be able to bypass MFA, it does not mean that you should give it up. It is still the best way of preventing malicious actors from gaining control over your accounts.

Lett CyberFlow Protect You from All Online Threats!

The best approach to cybersecurity is a unified one – airtight protection for all your systems, data and devices. Following the advice in this article and choosing CyberFlow as your cybersecurity provider are the best decisions to stay safe online. Contact us today to learn more about our services!