Over 200 Malicious Apps Target Nigeria And Other Countries On Google Play Store

A recent investigation by Zscaler ThreatLabz uncovers that more than 200 apps on the Google Play Store, collectively downloaded nearly eight million times, are found to be harmful. Nigeria ranks among the top 10 countries targeted by mobile malware, joining other major targets like the United States, India, Canada, South Africa, and Brazil.

As mobile phones have become the dominant means of internet access worldwide—96.5% of internet users rely on mobile devices to browse the web—the surge in mobile-based cyber threats has intensified. Hackers are exploiting this widespread dependence to launch sophisticated attacks aimed at financial institutions, social media accounts, and personal data. The Zscaler report, based on an analysis of over 20 million blocked malicious transactions, highlights a 29% increase in banking malware activity and a staggering 111% rise in mobile spyware attacks over the past year.

The increase in attacks is attributed to the growing profitability of cybercrime, with hackers increasingly bypassing multi-factor authentication through phishing schemes and fake login pages for banks, social media, and cryptocurrency wallets. Another tactic involves the use of QR codes to spread malware, notably Anatsa, which has targeted over 650 financial institutions globally.

Some malicious apps were even found on the official Google Play Store. Among these, “Joker” malware is the most widespread, silently subscribing users to premium services, while other threats like adware and “Facestealers” compromise Facebook credentials.

Though Android malware activity has recently declined, with May 2024 showing a significant drop compared to June 2023, Zscaler continues to block an average of 1.7 million mobile malware threats monthly.