In the Google Play catalog scam app
, which successfully sells access to updates Android for Samsung smartphones, initially distributed free by Samsung. Despite the fact that the app is hosted by Updato, an unknown company with no ties to Samsung, it has already accumulated over 10 million installs, further confirming the assumption that a huge number of users are willing to install anything on their smartphones, without considering the potential for malicious consequences or verifying what they install.
The Updates for Samsung application includes a WebView browser component that displays the contents of the updato.com website, which offers links to available firmware updates. Two download modes are available - free with speed limit and premium for $34.99 per year with no speed limit. Free downloads are limited to 56 Kbps and timed out at random times to encourage the user to pay for higher speed downloads.
The subscription payment is made bypassing the Google Play service through its own payment gateway, which can be used to obtain bank card details. When installed, the app requires access to the camera, network and phone status, external storage, precise location data, WiFi and Bluetooth settings, activation during sleep mode, and sending notifications.
Source: opennet.ru
