NEW: A network of mobile app publishing companies appears to have infected millions of phones with malware designed to generate fraudulent ad revenue.
A number of these companies are linked to a Russian firm formerly known as Adeco. 1/ occrp.org/en/investigati…
A number of these companies are linked to a Russian firm formerly known as Adeco. 1/ occrp.org/en/investigati…
A tool developed by Adeco, known as Net2Share, allowed users to clone existing apps that were available on app stores.
But Net2Share had a hidden feature, according to a whistleblower.
Every cloned app was also infected with malware that financially benefited Adeco. 2/
But Net2Share had a hidden feature, according to a whistleblower.
Every cloned app was also infected with malware that financially benefited Adeco. 2/
Techniques deployed by this malware included spamming fake ad-views and spawning invisible browsers on infected phones, thereby generating what may have amounted to millions in fraudulent revenues. 3/
Former Adeco employees told OCCRP that businessman Aleksandr Novikov is behind the opaque firm, which rebranded itself to JustMoby after cybersecurity experts began reporting on the ad-fraud scheme. 4/
In the digital advertising industry, fraud is a booming business. One cybersecurity firm estimated losses from digital advertising fraud to hover around $35b per year — overtaking even credit card fraud, according to a 2019 report. 5/
Adeco, JustMoby, and related companies published at least 200 apps on Google Play and the Apple Store, with many still available.
In total, they’ve been downloaded more than 76m times. 6/
In total, they’ve been downloaded more than 76m times. 6/
If you have additional information about Adeco or JustMoby, please consider contacting OCCRP journalists here.
We take your privacy seriously. 7/ occrp.org/en/aboutus/sec…
We take your privacy seriously. 7/ occrp.org/en/aboutus/sec…
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