Chinese Hackers Exploit Fake Skype in Crypto Phishing Scam (1)

Counterfeit Skype APP A deceptive Skype application circulating in China has led to a phishing scam, resulting in cryptocurrency theft, warns SlowMist, a leading blockchain security firm. The scheme, discovered after a victim reported funds being stolen post downloading the fake Skype app, has been linked to a previous phishing incident impersonating Binance. The counterfeit Skype app, displaying a likely Chinese origin, differs from the official release. Upon decompiling the app, the security team uncovered a modification to the widely used Android network framework, "okhttp3," designed to target cryptocurrency users. While the default okhttp3 framework typically manages Android traffic requests, the adapted version goes beyond, retrieving images from diverse directories on the phone and actively monitoring for any newly added images in real-time.ata. Once granted permissions, the application uploads sensitive information like images, device details, user ID, and phone numbers to a phishing backend.