€ 40,000 scam with a fake 'app' to spy on ... - Reuters

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MADRID, 20 Jul. (IRIN) –

National Police agents have arrested in Murcia a 23 year old who allegedly defrauded more than 40,000 euros with a false application for instant messaging conversations spy on smartphones.

WhatsappSPY

called a phone number with which you would get an activation code of course, but in fact he did was sign holder to service ‘Premium SMS’. The supposed application to install and use advertised as simple, would view conversations from other users in real time.

arrested the nonexistent program advertised primarily through stolen profiles on a social network in which they did with the credentials of over 11,000 users. Keys obtained through techniques of phishing through a website, whose address and appearance was similar to genuine social network, in which it called the ‘login’ and password for users who want to download the program.

hacked sending spam profiles to the contact lists announcing the application, which could viralizar the existence of software that in theory would intercept messages from one of the most used applications nowadays. Police estimated that in just two months could have made a profit that would exceed 40,000 euros.

Several months ago

increased Internet rumors about the existence of an application that would allow the intervention of an acquaintance talks instant messaging program for smartphones. This intervention was announced that communications could be made by any person to the availability of a smartphone, only a few simple steps.

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Following a complaint lodged by a social network is learned that the main channel through which it was announcing nonexistent downloading this application was from the numerous profiles hacked its users. Through these stolen accounts were held mass mail-spam-messages to their contact lists to disseminate it.

These messages include also redirected links to a website whose URL and look very similar to genuine social network. So captured through phishing techniques, access credentials to profiles whose users should introduce a requirement to download the software.

Once these data are automatically redirected to websites that facilitate downloading the program, although apparently once downloaded, requesting to introduce mobile number to purchase an activation code that you never received.

What was really was signing the owner of the telephone line to a courier who reported the arrest Premium important benefits, as the cost of these messages varies between 1.45 euros or 7.26 euros, depending on the operator.

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application wide interest among many users of the Network, as it would allow access to users’ private conversations of one of the most used programs today. But to make the most of the fraud need widely among netizens.

This stole more than 11,000 social networking profiles through which sent more than 8,000,000 messages. Thus getting what promised to make credible the alleged program, as people received information from one of your contacts. Once we were aware of the deception, many of the defrauded not report because of the small individual amount of fraud because of what promised to be true implementation would be a crime.

Once the researchers tracked the alleged architect of the fraud, a 23-year-old Spanish national, was arrested in the province of Murcia. In the search of his home computer were seized and four hard drives that are being analyzed by specialists.

The operation was carried out by agents of the Technological Research Unit of the Judicial Police Commissioner-General in collaboration with the Police Headquarters of Murcia.