Anti-fraud firm, Upstream, found the malicious code on 53,000 Tecno handsets, sold in Ethiopia, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana and South Africa
The malware known as Triada was found on at least 200, 000 Android phones in Africa.
The malware has the capacity to install a code known as x Helper which then finds subscription services and submits fraudulent requests on behalf of users without their knowledge
If the automated request goes through, it consumes the pre-paid airtime of unsuspecting subscribers
Tecno Mobile, however, dismissed the finding saying it was an old problem which it had fixed two years ago
According to BBC, an Anti-fraud firm Upstream found the malicious code on 53,000 Tecno handsets, sold in Ethiopia, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana and South Africa.
The investigating firm, the supplier of the phones was targetting “the most vulnerable” during distribution process.
“The fact that the malware arrives pre-installed on handsets that are bought in their millions by typically low-income households tells you everything you need to know about what the industry is currently up against,” said Geoffrey Cleaves, head of Upstream’s Secure-D platform as quoted by BBC.
