Widespread ‘Smishing’ Campaign Defrauds Iranian Android Users

guest · Dec 6, 2021

Attackers use socially engineered SMS messages and malware to compromise tens of thousands of devices and drain user bank accounts
December 1, 2021

Attackers are impersonating the Iranian government in a widespread SMS phishing campaign that is defrauding thousands of Android users by installing malware on their devices that can steal their credit card data and siphon money from financial accounts.

Researchers from Check Point Research estimate that the campaign, which sends so called “smishing” messages that entice victims to visit a malicious website, has already compromised tens of thousands of devices. This has resulted in the theft of billions of Iranian rial (or hundreds of thousands of US dollars), they said in a report published Wednesday.
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The campaign is first delivered as a standard smishing attack, using socially engineered SMS messages sent to a potential victim’s device to lure them to a malicious website, researchers said. There they are asked to enter account info while Android malware silently installs a backdoor on devices.

“What is noteworthy about these current campaigns is the sheer scale of the attack,” they wrote in the report, adding that “an unprecedented number of victims” have shared similar stories on social networks about how their bank accounts were drained by the cybercriminals.
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Check Point Research: Smishing Botnets Going Viral in Iran

There are a few key reasons why this operation is financially successful and attracts a lot of attention:

It causes an SMS “storm” as multiple botnets operated by different people constantly distribute the phishing links across numerous lists of contacts.

Lure themes contain a wide range of topics, including sensitive ones such as complaints and arrest warnings from the Iranian Judiciary service, and cause the potential victims to focus on the lure message and not on their security.

Stealing 2FA dynamic codes allows the actors to slowly but steadily withdraw significant amounts of money from the victims’ accounts, even in cases when due to the bank limitations each distinct operation might garner only tens of dollars.

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