The FakeCall virus, which first appeared in Kaspersky reports in 2022, can redirect all calls on the phone it hijacks to hackers. With this method, called voice phishing (vishing), hackers can trick the phone user when they try to call an important place such as a bank.
Important institutions such as banks can be impersonated
The FakeCall virus was first reported by Kaspersky in 2022 and by ThreatFabric in 2023. According to a research report by private security company Zimperium, FakeCall comes with a method called vishing. The aim is to get information such as bank, credit card or identity information from the victim users through fake phone calls, voice messages, etc. Researchers explain that FakeCall can take control of almost the entire mobile device, including interception of incoming and outgoing calls.
The best way to infect a user’s device with this virus is to install apps with .apk extensions from an app store like the Google Play Store. When you open an application file of unknown origin, the virus infects your phone and takes control of your phone. It is useful to first check these files that may come from family and friends. When the infected application is first installed on the phone, it asks the user for permission to access the default phone app and phone logs. According to Zimperiun researchers, after the infection phase:
- Identity Fraud: A hacker who hijacks your phone can call your family and friends, pretending to be you and making requests. Through the setResultData() method, the hacker can track your activities.
- They can manage calls: FakeCall virus can intercept and control incoming and outgoing calls and connect with others without the phone owner’s permission.
Recent reports reveal that nearly 1.5 million Android TV Box users across 197 countries have been infected with a virus.
Recently, a social media phenomenon experienced a similar situation. In calls made without the knowledge of the social media phenomenon, a person pierces the SS7 protocol that allows phone calls to take place and captures the number of the phenomenon. What is different with this situation is that the social media influencer’s phone is not infected with any virus. But the side effects are exactly the same as FakeCall.
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