Avast premium how many devices1/6/2023 When a user opens the app, they are asked to enter their phone number and in some cases, their email address as well, in order to use the apps’ advertised purposes. Once downloaded, the apps check users’ device location, IMEI, and phone number to determine in which language to display the scam. According to Sensor Tower data, the apps were being promoted via ads on social media networks, such as Tik Tok and Instagram, and have mainly been downloaded by users in the Middle East, the US, and Poland. The apps, which have been downloaded more than 10 million times according to insights surfaced using Sensor Tower, a mobile apps marketing intelligence and insights company, disguise themselves as custom keyboards, QR code scanners, video and photo editors, spam call blockers, camera filters, and games, among others. “The person or people behind the UltimaSMS campaign appear to be money hungry, as they are advertising the apps via Tik Tok, Instagram, and Facebook, which also speaks to the size and impact of this particular strain of scam," he says. “The apps are all nearly identical in terms of how they function, which leads me to believe that a single actor or group of bad actors is behind the campaign,” says Avast threat analyst Jakub Vvra. Last week, more than 80 apps were still available for download on the Google Play Store. The apps are all nearly identical in structure and functionality, and can cost victims, who are not rewarded any type of return, upwards of $40 per month, depending on their location and mobile carrier.Īvast reported them to Google’s Security Team, resulting in their swift removal from the store. More than 150 premium SMS scam applications have been discovered as part of a campaign dubbed “UltimaSMS” by digital security and privacy firm Avast.
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