“pig killing” is a person who meets someone online and deepens their relationship over a long period of time and ends up defrauding them of money.international romance scam” is a type of. Pig killing began to be seen in China around 2017 and has been expanding on a large scale mainly in Southeast Asia, but there are fraudulent apps on Google Play and App Store that can be used to trick people into pig killing scams. Researchers at cybersecurity companies warn that
Pig Butchering Alert | Group-IB Blog
https://www.group-ib.com/blog/pig-butchering/
‘Pig butchering’ trading apps found on Google Play, App Store
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/pig-butchering-trading-apps-found-on-google-play-app-store/
The main battleground for pig killing is SNS and matching apps, but there are also apps used to lure victims into pig killing. Cyber security companyGroup-IBresearchers reported in May 2024 that they had discovered fraudulent apps containing links to fake trading platforms.
Pig killing involves luring victims to fake trading platforms that display falsified information, tricking them into believing that they can earn high returns by investing there. The fraudulent app, classified by Group-IB as “UniShadowTrade,” helps facilitate the pig-killing scheme by redirecting users to a fake trading platform that can only be accessed via an invitation code after installation. I did.
When a user registers on a fraudulent application, they are first asked to upload identification, such as an ID card or passport. You will then be asked to provide personal information, followed by details about your job. Once you agree to the terms and disclosures, you will be prompted to deposit funds into your account. Once this process is completed within the app, the cybercriminal takes over and sends further instructions, ultimately stealing the victim’s funds.
According to Group-IB, the fraudulent apps are disguised as “volume area calculation tools for algebraic formulas and 3D graphics” on iOS and “financial news feeds” on Android, and some Android apps have been downloaded 5,000 times. He said. Below is an example of a malicious app shown by Group-IB that has been downloaded over 1000 times.
App stores usually have mechanisms in place to prevent unauthorized apps from being released. However, the fraudulent app had a function that checked the date and time it was being executed, and if the date was before the release date on the app store, it displayed a disguised screen that had nothing to do with fraud. This simple method allows cybercriminals to bypass store review and upload malicious apps to app stores.
The following is a graph showing the number of app installations related to pig killing from March to August 2024. There are many victims in the Asia-Pacific region (blue), but you can see that the app is also installed in the European region (gray). Group-IB said: “App installation detections show that the pig-killing threat is not limited to a specific region.”
The malicious app remained on Google Play and App Store for several weeks before being removed. However, researchers point out that scammers have only switched from apps to phishing sites as a means of redirecting people to fraudulent sites, and that pig killings themselves have not decreased at all.
Group-IB research team leader Andrei Polovinkin said that financial institutions should use “fraud prevention systems that monitor suspicious user sessions” and “educate customers about fake websites and malicious apps” to prevent pig killing. “Check the latest threat data provided by Group-IB, etc.” Users can also avoid scams by being aware of things like being careful when opening links from unknown sources, doing thorough research before applying for investments, and making sure to install apps from official websites. Polovinkin says that you can be careful about.
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