Malware, or in other words, certain software that eats up mobile data and registers people for unwanted subscriptions has been discovered to have been pre-installed on thousands of low-cost Tecno Chinese smartphones in Africa. These malware were initially detected about two years ago and it appears that they remain the norm even years after the reveal.

Source; https://africaatrandom.com/chinas-tecno-sold-thousands-of-smartphones-with-malware-to-africa/

The Triada malware which seems to be common with Tecno phones, signs mobile users up to subscription services without their permission. It appears to be particularly common with Tecno W2 brand smartphones in countries such as Ethiopia, Ghana, Cameroon and South Africa.

Secure-D, the anti-fraud platform that conducted the research, recorded 19.2 million suspicious transactions since March 2019 from over 200,000 unique devices. “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,” Secure-D managing Director, Geoffrey Cleaves said.

“This particular threat takes advantage of those most vulnerable,” he added.

The parent company that manufactures Tecno phones is China‘s Transsion; it appears to largely dominate Africa’s smartphone market with about 41% share – this is according to market research firm IDC.

The Shenzhen-based company got listed on China’s version of the Nasdaq just last year, has been known to totally ignore its home market and instead has chosen to focus almost exclusively on the African market. It sells more affordable handsets than rivals such as Samsung (SSNLF) and Apple (AAPL) under the brand Tecno Mobile.

In a statement issued by the company, it said that the Tecno Mobile problem “was an old and solved mobile security issue globally” for which it issued a fix in March 2018. It added that consumers currently experiencing difficulties should download the fix through their phones or contact after sales support. Transsion has shifted blame for the malware unto an “unidentified vendor in the supply chain process.”

The triada malware which is seen in some Tecno phones automatically installs a piece of code known as xHelper onto compromised devices, and this automatically subscribes users on their blind side to services that consume pre-paid airtime, which is a common way that people in Africa pay for digital products.

It's a false report.