Security researchers have discovered a new virus that threatens Android operating systems. This malware, called ‘Faketoken’, sends offensive text messages from foreign phones to infected numbers, causing victims to encounter unexpected phone bills. Dating back to 2014, Faketoken was first developed as a “banking trojan” for illegally transferring money from bank accounts. According to popular antivirus developer Kaspersky, the recurring virus is now targeting regular users and sending messages from these devices. The malware checks the balances of the infected phones before taking any action: Kaspersky’s event tracking system has detected that about 5,000 Faketoken virus-infected smartphones have been sent offensive text messages to unknown numbers. According to Kaspersky’s comments, the malware verifies if there is enough money in the victims’ accounts before posting anything. Even if there is enough money in the account, it starts to consume the balance of the users. There are several methods that users can follow to protect against such attacks. Of course, one of these methods is antivirus programs. If Kaspersky’s suggestions to avoid such malware are as follows: Install only apps distributed by Google Play. Do not follow the links of messages that you are not sure are safe. Install a reliable antivirus application. Stop using modded APKs of popular apps. By downloading these applications, you potentially endanger your personal data. If we need to give a brief summary; To avoid this kind of malware, you should not install the apps you do not know the source in any way and you should choose Google Play Store to get the application. If you encounter this kind of malware, it is recommended to have a reliable antivirus program on your phone.
