Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

Researchers Identify 455 Malicious Apps Tied to Global Malvertising CampaignCybercriminals used malicious Android apps to funnel unwitting users to an ad fraud scam that generated up to 659 million daily bid requests, reports Human Security. The scam has spanned 455 malicious Android apps and is linked to 183 threat actor-owned command-and-control domains.

Also: 700M Euro Fraud Busted, 2 Arrested in Crypto-Linked Killing CaseThis week, Ledger flagged physical attack risks to Android hot wallets, a 700M euro fraud network was dismantled, a suspect in the $243M Genesis theft was reportedly detained and a member of a $263M crypto scam pleaded guilty. Two men arrested in a Vienna crypto-linked killing.

Steganography, Mobile Marketing Attribution, Code Obfuscation Deployed for Ad FraudA cybercrime crew using Android mobile apps to conduct advertising fraud took unusual pains to hide its activity, concealing malicious code in downloadable digital images and holding off from infecting the subset of users who organically found their apps through the Google Play store.

Over 1 Million Infected Off-Brand Android Devices Pose Global Fraud RiskA China-based botnet operation called BADBOX 2.0 has infected more than 1 million off-brand Android smart devices globally. In an alert, the FBI advised consumers to check their home networks for suspicious activity that could be linked to multiple fraud schemes.

Attack Combines Social Engineering and Card Emulation to Execute Real-Time TheftHackers are using Chinese-speaking Android malware-as-a-service SuperCard X to carry out near-field communication relay attacks, siphoning payment card data and executing live point of sale and ATM transactions. Victims receive spoofed SMS or WhatsApp alerts purporting to originate from their bank.

Off-Brand Android Devices Come Infrected With A TrojanA botnet infected more than 1 million off-brand Android devices manufactured in China, reached consumers with a backdoor already installed. Scammers used the devices for programmatic ad fraud, click fraud and converting the devices into a residential proxy.

Hackers Used Dozens of Servers to Distribute Malicious Android AppsLaw enforcement authorities in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan took down a cybercrime ring that used dozens of servers and hundreds of phishing pages across multiple jurisdictions to run a malware-enabled scam operation and steal tens of millions from victims' bank accounts.