This started with phishing, poor people being tricked to install apps that then drained their bank accounts. So to resist, maybe focus on that evil? Better international cooperation, better prosecution?

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stymaar 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

> This started with phishing

It didn't.

Phishing is just a pretext. Google didn't care about Phishing for the first 20 years of Android. Why do they now? Because it serves as argument to close their platform a little more (which is a trend that has been going on for years).

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Arnt 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

I think they care now because of pressure from the governments of the countries involved.

And perhaps because ten and twenty years ago, the sums stolen were small. Now they're in the billions.

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LtWorf 2 hours ago | parent [-]

How do you explain that all the scammers I've entertained used apps that are already on the store?

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Arnt 2 hours ago | parent [-]

I think there's a misunderstanding here.

The attack in question doesn't use apps on the store, or even any attempt to get them on the store. There are also other attacks, but the one that prompted this change uses social engineering to get people to tap the build number seven times, sideload something and get a keylogger that then picked up their banking details and used them. Several governments raised the issue, Google acted. (The actions are to slow down the tap-seven-times process, so it becomes harder for the scammers to keep their victims fooled until the keylogger is installed, and also to tweak the timings, so the scammers can't outrun the app-banning process.)

If you haven't had your bank account drained, the scammers you met were different ones. (And I'm sorry that you've been scammed.)

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LtWorf an hour ago | parent [-]

But it is suspicious they want to defend vs attacks that don't happen while doing absolutely nothing to stop the attacks that do happen. Seems like security isn't a goal here?

(I didn't get scammed, I sometimes am curious on what the scam is so i lead them on a bit)

	▲	Arnt 14 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		Are you in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore or Thailand? Those were the four worst-affected countries IIRC. Although I seen to remember Ecuador or Bolivia as well? (They do something about other scams too. There was another thing they published recently, I didn't pay attention since no side effect of that concerned me, something to do with caller ID.)

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frollogaston 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I do think it's about Google trying to squeeze profits out of Android, but is there more direct evidence of this? Cause I always have to wonder if it's something else like KYC.

	▲	Arnt 3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Of course Google generally tries to squeeze profits out of… whatever it does, but eh, by closing something? Google is the company that makes a million in profit from the openness of the web in the time it takes me to write this paragraph, why would that company think that closing something improves its competitive stance?

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LtWorf 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

All scams attempt I received from "hot asian ladies" involved putting my savings in apps that are already on the google app store.

The scam apps are already in there. Please stop repeating google's propaganda.

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iririririr 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

or how about don't allow government and banks and telcos to use abusive apps to provide essential services?

those people fall for this because for everything poor people do, they need an app that is provided by sleazy vendors and that require tons of permission, and face scan and what not. they were primed so those business could save in operating costs.

that's the problem. won't solve it with slightly less sleazy vendors.

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mschuster91 5 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

We can't even get India and Turkey sanctioned for evading the anti-Russian sanctions... good luck holding them accountable for the scam callcenters.