Fake messaging apps espionage campaign targets Indian users
8 months, 1 week ago

Fake messaging apps espionage campaign targets Indian users

India TV News  

Researchers have reportedly discovered an active espionage campaign 'eXotic Visit', that has been targeting Android users with fake messaging apps. In a report, the researchers said, "Apps that contain XploitSPY can extract contact lists and files, the device’s GPS location, and the names of files listed in specific directories related to the camera, downloads, and various messaging apps such as Telegram and WhatsApp." Moreover, the report identified ten additional apps that contain code that was based on XploitSPY and shared its findings with Google. Overall, around 380 victims have downloaded the apps from websites and Google Play store and created accounts to use their messaging functionality, the report said.

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History of this topic

These apps are a headache for India's security agencies. Here's why
6 days, 23 hours ago

These apps are a headache for India's security agencies. Here's why

India Today  

WhatsApp and Telegram may be your default messaging applications of choice, but they are not for everyone. Zangi is among 14 mobile applications that were “banned” in India by the government in May last year, as several publications reported at the time, citing sources. Unlike other popular messaging apps, Zangi, Threema, nandbox, Safeswiss, Element, and Briar don’t require users to …

Telangana: Cyber Fraudsters Target Citizens with Fake PM Schemes Apps
1 month ago

Telangana: Cyber Fraudsters Target Citizens with Fake PM Schemes Apps

Deccan Chronicle  

Hyderabad: In yet another new modus operandi, fraudsters have begun to dupe gullible people in the name of Central government schemes such as PM Kisan and PM Yojana. Cybersecurity Bureau officials cautioned citizens to keep an eye on suspicious apps on ones mobile phones, and uninstall them immediately. The TCSB director asked people to uninstall all suspicious applications from one’s …

ED launches probe in multi crore stock market frauds run with fake apps
3 months, 3 weeks ago

ED launches probe in multi crore stock market frauds run with fake apps

Hindustan Times  

MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate has initiated a money-laundering investigation into an alleged multi-crore fraudulent online scam in which a large number of gullible investors across the country were cheated of their hard-earned money by inducing them to invest in stock markets through fake mobile apps. MODUS-OPERANDI: ED’s probe revealed that the victims were being cheated by allegedly entrapping them into …

Indian government issues alert for transnational scam targeting Apple users
5 months, 1 week ago

Indian government issues alert for transnational scam targeting Apple users

The Hindu  

Indian government’s cyber agency, Cyberdost, has issued an alert warning iOS users of a “Transnational scam” that lures victims by making them click on links shared on iMessage. According to Cyberdost threat actors are targeting Apple users by sending fake iMessage informing them that a wrong address is preventing a package or courier from being delivered. Cyberdost has advised users …

Indian Govt Warns iPhone Users About This ‘Transnational Courier Scam’: Here’s What You Should Know
5 months, 1 week ago

Indian Govt Warns iPhone Users About This ‘Transnational Courier Scam’: Here’s What You Should Know

News 18  

iPhone users in India have been given a major security warning about a new transnational scam that can be used to hack your device or steal money from the bank account. iPhone Security Alert – What It Says The new fake post message alert for iPhone users is identical to the India Post fake message that Android users were warned …

Researchers reveal alarming rise in investment scams in India through Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Researchers reveal alarming rise in investment scams in India through Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram

India TV News  

Cybersecurity researchers have revealed an alarming rise in investment scams in India that are being promoted through social media messaging platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, and others. The findings revealed over 29,000 malicious investment Additionally, the report emphasised the concerning tactic of impersonation, with 81,000 X accounts posing as recognized financial institutions to lend credibility to these scams. "Scammers …

Google starts removing multiple Indian apps from Play Store for not paying service fee
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Google starts removing multiple Indian apps from Play Store for not paying service fee

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: Google on Friday began removing some apps, including popular matrimony apps, from its Play Store in India over a dispute on service fee payments. While Bharat Matrimony founder Murugavel Janakiraman described the move as "dark day" for the Internet in India, Kuku FM co-founder Vinod Kumar Meena, in a statement, said that Google was behaving like a 'monopoly'. …

Six members of online crime syndicate held for duping people of ₹15 crore: Police
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Six members of online crime syndicate held for duping people of ₹15 crore: Police

Hindustan Times  

Rourkela police have busted an international online crime syndicate that allegedly defrauded people of at least ₹15 crore, according to preliminary investigations, the police announced. Six members of the syndicate were arrested on Friday by a team of Rourkela Police led by subdivisional police officer Upasana Padhi from Rourkela, Bhilai, Raipur in Chhattisgarh, and Ludhiana in Punjab after the Indian …

Malware attack alert! Indian government issues advisory for new malware affecting Android users in India. Details here
1 year, 3 months ago

Malware attack alert! Indian government issues advisory for new malware affecting Android users in India. Details here

Live Mint  

The Indian government has notified about an open-source Remote Access Trojan called DogeRAT that is targeting Indian Android users as part of a sophisticated malware campaign. According to the advisory, dated 30 “The malware is distributed via social media and messaging platforms under guise of legitimate applications like Opera Mini, OpenAl Chat GPT and premium versions of Youtube, Netflix and …

Fake Signal and Telegram apps unleash China-backed spyware on Android devices
1 year, 3 months ago

Fake Signal and Telegram apps unleash China-backed spyware on Android devices

India TV News  

Malicious versions of the Signal and Telegram Android apps have been discovered on the Google Play Store and Samsung Galaxy Store, with the intention of delivering the China-linked "BadBazaar" spyware, according to cybersecurity researchers. The tainted Signal and Telegram apps, called 'Signal Plus Messenger' and 'FlyGram,' have been actively in use since July 2020 and July 2022, respectively. Signal Plus …

Fake Telegram and Signal apps on Google Play, Samsung Galaxy store used to deliver spyware: Report
1 year, 3 months ago

Fake Telegram and Signal apps on Google Play, Samsung Galaxy store used to deliver spyware: Report

The Hindu  

Malicious iterations of popular instant messaging platforms, Telegram and Signal, were found to have been uploaded to Google Play and Samsung Galaxy Store by a Chinese APT group, known as GREF. The malicious apps contained the BadBazaar spyware, which is capable of tracking a device’s precise location, stealing call logs, SMS, and contact lists, recording phone calls, accessing the camera, …

SafeChat- Fake Android Chat App used by hackers to target WhatsApp users in India
1 year, 4 months ago

SafeChat- Fake Android Chat App used by hackers to target WhatsApp users in India

India TV News  

Hackers are exploiting WhatsApp users in South Asia, particularly in India, by using a fake Android chat app named 'SafeChat' to steal data through malicious payloads delivered via WhatsApp chat. The app's deceptive user interface tricks users into believing its authenticity while extracting crucial information before users realize it is a fake app. Image Source : PIXABAYWhatsApp Cyfirma reported that …

WhatsApp introduces a global security centre to safeguard users
1 year, 6 months ago

WhatsApp introduces a global security centre to safeguard users

India TV News  

WhatsApp, a Meta-owned social media platform launched a new global security centre for users to learn more about how to protect themselves against spammers and unwanted contact, as it faces scrutiny over the menace of international spam calls and messages. About international spam calls Last month, the instant messaging platform responded to the problem of international scam calls in India …

Beware of this new android malware that steals your passwords: Know-more
1 year, 7 months ago

Beware of this new android malware that steals your passwords: Know-more

India TV News  

A new Android malware known as 'FluHorse' has been discovered, which targets users in Eastern Asia with malicious apps that look like legitimate versions with over 1,00,000 installs. Moreover, the report said that upon installation, all three fake apps request SMS access in order to intercept incoming 2FA codes in case they are required to hijack the accounts. The fake …

India blocks 14 mobile apps used by terrorists in Pakistan to send information in J-K
1 year, 7 months ago

India blocks 14 mobile apps used by terrorists in Pakistan to send information in J-K

Hindustan Times  

The central government has blocked 14 messenger mobile applications that were used by terrorists in Pakistan as communication platforms to transmit information to Jammu and Kashmir. the apps blocked by the government include Crypviser, Enigma, Safeswiss, Wickrme, Mediafire, Briar, BChat, Nandbox, Conion, IMO, Element, Second line, Zangi, Threema among others. Watch: India bans apps used by Pak terrorists to send …

Govt Blocks 14 Mobile Messenger Apps in J&K Used by Terror Groups to Contact Supporters, OGWs
1 year, 7 months ago

Govt Blocks 14 Mobile Messenger Apps in J&K Used by Terror Groups to Contact Supporters, OGWs

News 18  

In a big step, the central government blocked 14 messenger mobile applications, which were being used by terror groups in Jammu and Kashmir, on the recommendation of defence forces, security, intelligence and investigation agencies. According to top sources, the step was taken after multiple agencies found that these apps were being used by terrorists in Kashmir to communicate with their …

Centre blocks 14 mobile apps used by terrorists in Pak to send coded texts in J-K
1 year, 7 months ago

Centre blocks 14 mobile apps used by terrorists in Pak to send coded texts in J-K

India Today  

The central government has blocked 14 mobile applications used by terrorists in Pakistan as communication platforms to transmit information to Jammu and Kashmir, sources told India Today. According to sources, the applications were used by terrorists in Pakistan to send coded messages to overground workers and other operatives in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The crackdown on mobile …

India May Ask Smartphone Makers to Allow Removal of Pre-installed Apps, Says Report
1 year, 9 months ago

India May Ask Smartphone Makers to Allow Removal of Pre-installed Apps, Says Report

News 18  

The Central government is likely to force the makers of smartphones to permit the removal of pre-installed applications and mandate screening of major operating system updates under proposed new security rules, as per Reuters. It is a matter of national security.” The new rules is likely to extend launch timelines in the world’s No.2 smartphone market and lead to losses …

'Tiki, Helo, ShareKaro': Experts Concern About Banned Chinese Apps Returning to India in New Forms
1 year, 10 months ago

'Tiki, Helo, ShareKaro': Experts Concern About Banned Chinese Apps Returning to India in New Forms

News 18  

In 2020, following the Galwan Valley clash, the government had banned 59 Chinese apps, including popular ones like TikTok, WeChat, and ShareIt, to protect the privacy of its citizens. In response, Tiki denied any association with China or any Chinese apps or companies and said their servers and user data are strictly based in India. ShareKaro, Helo, and Resso are …

Beware of spyware Hermit, says Google to the high-profile Android users
2 years, 5 months ago

Beware of spyware Hermit, says Google to the high-profile Android users

India TV News  

Google has found strong evidence that enterprise-grade Android spyware called 'Hermit' is being used via SMS messages to target high-profile Android users. Cyber-security researchers last week unearthed 'Hermit' which is being used by the governments via SMS messages to target high-profile people like business executives, human rights activists, journalists, academics and government officials. "Based on our analysis, the spyware, which …

Google Deactivates RCS Ads in Response to Widespread Spamming by Businesses in India
2 years, 6 months ago

Google Deactivates RCS Ads in Response to Widespread Spamming by Businesses in India

News 18  

Following accusations of spamming by corporations, Google has prohibited businesses from using Rich Communication Services for promotion in India, the company’s largest market by users, in a setback for the standard that the company is expecting to help become the future of SMS messaging. However, in May, Google announced that RCS texting in Android Messages app had surpassed 500 million …

Google disables RCS in India after businesses found abusing the feature
2 years, 6 months ago

Google disables RCS in India after businesses found abusing the feature

India Today  

Google has disabled its Rich Communication Services in India in the wake of the backlash against the feature after businesses in India began to exploit it for unsolicited marketing. Google said it will work with the industry to improve the experience for users, but until then RCS will not work in India. We are disabling this feature in India while …

Google Messages App Has A Serious Ads Problem In India: Here’s How You Can Fix It
2 years, 7 months ago

Google Messages App Has A Serious Ads Problem In India: Here’s How You Can Fix It

News 18  

Google Messages is the default messaging app on Android smartphones that comes pre-loaded for users. Just to understand the gravity of the problem, we decided to independently verify the presence of ads on Google Messages. As you can see below, these ads have been sent from verified business accounts, belonging to reputed firms like Kotak Bank and Bajaj Finserv among …

The app ban is a good first step
2 years, 10 months ago

The app ban is a good first step

Hindustan Times  

India expanded a ban on mobile software by Chinese-origin developers and investors, adding 54 apps that government officials privately listed out to reporters this week. These apps, government officials said on Monday, “were allegedly engaged in activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of the country also posing serious threat to security of the state and defense of India”. Last …

Govt Bans 54 More Chinese Apps Posing 'Threat to India’s Security' Amid Border Row
2 years, 10 months ago

Govt Bans 54 More Chinese Apps Posing 'Threat to India’s Security' Amid Border Row

News 18  

The government has decided to ban 54 additional apps of Chinese origin highlighting that these apps pose a “threat to India’s security" as the border tension continue. Apart from Garena Free Fire- Illuminate, the new list of banned apps is said to mostly include clones of apps that were already banned in India since 2020. The 54 Chinese apps include …

Indian Govt bans 54 Chinese apps that pose threat to national security: Sources
2 years, 10 months ago

Indian Govt bans 54 Chinese apps that pose threat to national security: Sources

India Today  

According to top sources in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Centre has banned 54 Chinese apps that "pose a threat to India's security". Since June 2020, the government has banned around 224 Chinese smartphone apps, including popular applications like TikTok, Shareit, WeChat, Helo, Likee, UC News, Bigo Live, UC Browser, ES File Explorer, and Mi Community. The …

Beware! Fake WhatsApp Message Claiming Free Internet From Govt Is Doing The Rounds: All We Know
3 years, 6 months ago

Beware! Fake WhatsApp Message Claiming Free Internet From Govt Is Doing The Rounds: All We Know

News 18  

A new fake WhatsApp message is doing the rounds claiming that the government of India will provide free internet access to 100 million users for three months. The WhatsApp message falsely claims that the government is giving free internet access to users of Jio, Airtel, and Vi. The government has also advised users to not open suspicious links such as …

WhatsApp faces first legal challenge in India over privacy
3 years, 11 months ago

WhatsApp faces first legal challenge in India over privacy

The Hindu  

WhatsApp's updated privacy policy verges on user surveillance and threatens India's security, a petition filed in an Indian court said on Thursday,presenting another legal challenge for the Facebook Inc-owned messenger. In India, many users have began installing rival apps like Signal and Telegram, pushing WhatsApp to begin a costly advertising campaign to calm customers. "It virtually gives a 360-degree profile …

China demands India rescind app ban amid border tension
4 years ago

China demands India rescind app ban amid border tension

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy China on Wednesday demanded India …

Indian Govt Executes 4th Ban on Chinese Apps in 5 Months: The Full Timeline
4 years ago

Indian Govt Executes 4th Ban on Chinese Apps in 5 Months: The Full Timeline

News 18  

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology banned 43 Chinese apps earlier today, as part of the fourth crackdown on apps with ties to China, that are believed to be a threat to national security. But the most notable raid on 118 Chinese apps occurred in September, which included highly popular apps such as PUBG Mobile and PUBG Mobile Lite. …

India Has Now Banned 224 Chinese Apps In Three Crackdowns As Attention Is On Aatmanirbhar Bharat
4 years, 3 months ago

India Has Now Banned 224 Chinese Apps In Three Crackdowns As Attention Is On Aatmanirbhar Bharat

News 18  

The Ministry of Information Technology of the Government of India has banned 118 more Chinese owned apps, as part of what is a third crackdown on apps that are believed to be a threat to national security. Have You PUBG Mobile, APUS, AliPay, WeChat Work and 114 More Apps Banned by Govt: Full List Here “The Ministry of Electronics and …

Will protect interests of Chinese companies: China after India bans more apps
4 years, 4 months ago

Will protect interests of Chinese companies: China after India bans more apps

Deccan Chronicle  

China on Tuesday once again lashed out at India on last month’s banning of 59 Chinese mobile apps including WeChat and asked it to avoid “correct its wrongdoing”, warning that China will “also take necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies”. In a statement on Tuesday, the Chinese Embassy said, “On June 29, the Indian …

Correct your wrongdoing, revoke ban on WeChat, other apps. It was deliberate: China tells India
4 years, 4 months ago

Correct your wrongdoing, revoke ban on WeChat, other apps. It was deliberate: China tells India

India Today  

China today protested against India's recent decision to ban a plethora of Chinese apps and warned that India should "correct its wrongdoing". On June 29, the Indian government banned 59 mobile apps with Chinese background including WeChat, which severely damaged the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies. The Indian government has the responsibility to protect the legitimate rights and …

PubG, AliExpress, Ludo World among 275 Chinese apps to be banned in India? Here's what we know
4 years, 4 months ago

PubG, AliExpress, Ludo World among 275 Chinese apps to be banned in India? Here's what we know

India TV News  

Highly used mobile apps like PubG mobile and AliExpress could get banned in India as government is considering banning more Chinese apps. About 275 Chinese apps in India are on the government's radar for possible violations of national security and user privacy. The new list of 275 apps that might face the heat soon, including major apps like mobile gaming …

PUBG Mobile, AliExpress, Ludo World: Are More Chinese Apps Set To Be Banned In India?
4 years, 4 months ago

PUBG Mobile, AliExpress, Ludo World: Are More Chinese Apps Set To Be Banned In India?

News 18  

More Chinese owned apps seem to be under the scanner in India at a time when the geopolitical tensions between India and China are at an all-time high. This follows the ban on 59 Chinese-owned apps last month, a list that included the very popular social media app TikTok. It is believed that the latest list of apps under the …

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