By Charlotte Reid 
The case of this banking Trojan shows that digital threats continue to evolve thanks to the use of artificial intelligence.
Cybersecurity researchers have discovered a fraudulent campaign on Facebook that promotes social activities and travel, targeting senior citizens. Through groups on Meta’s social network, fraudsters share content generated by artificial intelligence to gain users’ trust. When this happens, contacts continue on Messenger or WhatsApp, where they are asked to download a fake application from an external link to complete fraudulent transactions, thus stealing their money.
This is how Daztbro works, the malware that spies on your mobile phone and can steal your money
Threat Fabric, the Dutch mobile security company responsible for uncovering this incident, explains in a report that if the targets express their willingness to participate in these events, they are subsequently contacted via the aforementioned networks, where they are asked to download an APK file from a fraudulent link.
Among its many functions, it has the ability to record audio, activate the camera, access files, log passwords and commit financial fraud. To achieve this, the Trojan uses advanced techniques such as semi-transparent black overlays that hide malicious activity while stealing sensitive data such as bank credentials, evading security restrictions from Android 13 onwards.
They say that the fake sites encourage visitors to install a supposed community app, claiming that it would allow them to register for events, connect with members, and track scheduled activities. Downloading the app led to a banking Trojan known as Daztbro, a malware program capable of taking control of the device.
Originally from China, but it can reach the whole world
This means that any information being viewed on the mobile phone can be stolen. The Hacker News reports that the fraud began in Australia, but soon spread to countries such as Canada, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, Singapore and South Africa. As for its origin, it is believed that Daztbro originated in China, as both the code and the servers and control are in that language.
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Although it mostly targeted Android, attempts to deceive iOS users were also detected through links to TestFlight, the platform that allows beta testing of applications. Beyond its spread across different countries, there is a risk that it could still be replicated in more due to indications of its accessibility.
Daztbro and the perfection of social engineering techniques
The Daztbro case shows that digital threats continue to evolve alongside the refinement of social engineering techniques. Something as harmless as an innocent invitation on social media can end up with the victim losing control of their device without realising it and with their bank account emptied.
It is therefore very important that everyone, but especially older people, who are the target of these scams, have help to avoid falling victim to this type of fraud. In addition, caution and common sense when faced with offers that are too good or tempting is essential, as these are the most common lures that cybercriminals use to try to commit fraud.