Android malware FakeCall intercepts your calls to the bank

An Android banking Trojan called FakeCall is capable of hijacking the phone calls you make to your bank. Instead of reaching your bank, your call will be redirected to the cybercriminals.

The Trojan accomplishes this by installing itself as the default call handler on the infected device. The default call handler app is responsible for managing incoming and outgoing calls, allowing users to answer or reject calls, as well as initiate calls.

As you can imagine handing these options to a malicious app comes with some serious risks.

Last time FakeCall reared its head, BleepingComputer reported that the malware was being distributed as fake banking apps that impersonate large financial institutions, as well as being distributed in phishing emails. When the receiver clicked a link in the email they’d download an Application Package (APK file) which acted as a dropper for the malicious app.

Likely without realizing, when the user gives the app permission to set it as the default call handler, the malware gains permission to intercept and manipulate both outgoing and incoming calls.

The FakeCall malware abuses this trust by hijacking the user’s call to a financial institution. To better understand how the attackers use this, you’ll need to know that FakeCall is a very versatile tool. It can also steal sensitive information from the infected devices which enables the cybercriminals to deploy targeted attacks against the owners of infected devices.

They will know which bank the target primarily uses and will send them offers that might be of interest to them, via in-app notifications or vishing (voice-phishing). The cybercriminals may, for example, offer a loan with a low interest rate and ask the target to call if they’re interested.

Regardless, whether the target uses the displayed phone number or tries to directly call the number of his bank, the call will get redirected to the criminals.

The FakeCall app is hard to detect since it uses several methods to evade detection, and it uses several names to mimic legitimate banking apps. This is where Malwarebytes for Android can help you, by identifying these apps and removing them.

Malwarebytes for Android detects FakeCall as Android/Trojan.Banker.Fakecall.