This type of crime is booming in South Africa – with the threat literally in your pocket

According to Kaspersky, the number of mobile threats detected in the Middle East, Turkiye, and Africa region increased by 22% from 2022 to 2023.These statistics come from Kaspersky’s products on Android devices, with Apple devices harder to monitor due to OS specifications.

Attackers bait victims by disguising a malicious app as a useful or well-known application, with the top 5 baits in the META region used by cybercriminals involving positioning malware as WhatsApp or Chrome app mods, music downloaders, ad-blocking software, and system apps.Although adware can appear harmless, it can spam a user with ads, drain battery, or even access sensitive data.

“One of the types of mobile malware observed in the Middle East, Turkiye, Africa region are trojans – apps that are often disguised as legitimate ones,” said Kaspersky’s Dmitry Galov.“In 2024, we believe that the number of advanced attacks on mobile devices will increase, as attackers are constantly looking for new ways to deliver malware, and the malware itself is becoming more sophisticated.”

Check the permissions of apps you use and think carefully before permitting an app, especially when it comes to high-risk permissions such as Accessibility Services.

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