Six Arrested Over Japanese Porn Blackmail Virus

Six men have been arrested in Tokyo for allegedly running a scam involving Android malware that promised porn and delivered blackmailing malware.

The men are the first to be arrested in Japan for distribution of a smartphone virus, and are accused of swindling more than 20 million yen (£161,150) by creating an Android app which promised access to adult material, but instead served malware that stole personal details and blackmailed users.

All culprits were “white collar” employees, including one former and two current IT executives.

Turning Japanese

The Android application was advertised as giving free access to sexually explicit videos. It was featured as part of a fully functional adult website, created by the six cyber-criminals. Once installed, instead of providing X-rated entertainment, the app would demand money from the users, while also uploading their personal details to an overseas server.

Since the application was placed on the site in December 2011, a total of 9,252 people have downloaded it nationwide, senior Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officials told Daily Yomimuri. Out of these unlucky skin flick lovers, 211 were shamed into paying 21 million yen in fictitious fees.

“Please pay the fees as soon as possible. You need to confirm the unpaid amount. It totals 99,800 yen,” said the message, which appeared every five minutes, even if users turned off their smartphones.

The message also displayed users’ phone numbers, e-mail addresses and other personal information. Many users were upset to find the app’s developer had obtained their personal information, and eventually paid the demanded amount, equalling £805.

Android is currently the world’s most popular mobile phone OS, with 59 percent market share, and 900,000 devices activated daily. Last month, Trend Micro has also identified it as the most attractive mobile platform for attackers. The company found 17 malware-ridden apps on the official Google Play store, which, it believes, have been downloaded more than 700,000 times.

In March, anti-crimeware specialist Total Defense has even suggested that the surge in malware targeted at Android devices has surpassed the operating system’s rise in market share.

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