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," said managing director, Geoffrey Cleaves.

China's Transsion Holdings manufactures the Android devices, which dominate Africa's smartphone market with a 41% share, according to market research firm IDC. Shenzhen-based Transsion, which listed on China's version of the Nasdaq last year, has ignored its home market to focus almost exclusively on the continent. It sells more affordable handsets than rivals such as Samsung (SSNLF) and Apple (AAPL) under the brand Tecno Mobile.

In a statement to CNN Business, Tecno Mobile said the problem "was an old and solved mobile security issue globally" for which it issued a fix in March 2018. Consumers currently experiencing difficulties should download the fix through their phones or contact after sales support, it added.

Transsion blamed an "unidentified vendor in the supply chain process," according to BuzzFeed.

Triada malware installs a piece of code known as xHelper onto compromised devices, automatically subscribing users without their knowledge to services that consume pre-paid airtime — the only way to pay for digital products in many developing countries.

"The xHelper trojan persists across reboots, app removals and even factory resets, making it extremely difficult to deal with even for experienced professionals, let alone the average mobile user," Secure-D, which is owned by mobile technology company Upstream, said in a statement.


Source: https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/26/tech/tecno-malware-africa/index.html

I don’t trust all this phone makers. I think iPhone is lesser devil. Poverty has Africans embrace substandard products for years. I was surprised to see on jiji iPhone 8+ 45k some time ago. I was like even if it cloned it is still too cheap. Samsung, iPhone, lg, heiwui etc must be the most trusted phone in the world.

You can never trust these China people

vickydankal:
I don’t trust all this phone makers. I think iPhone is lesser devil. Poverty has Africans embrace substandard products for years. I was surprised to see on jiji iPhone 8+ 45k some time ago. I was like even if it cloned it is still too cheap. Samsung, iPhone, lg, heiwui etc must be the most trusted phone in the world.

The whole report you'll notice that it's false.

Realboygenius:


The whole report you'll notice that it's false.

An article researched and written by BBC is false?

Maybe you should try again.


Modified: Na even CNN write the article sef, no be BBC...

this is so not true, that issue had been tackled long ago

pauladonis:


An article researched and written by BBC is false?

Maybe you should try again.

that guy and one amador have been hopping from one thread to another trying their best to debunk the truth.

skywalker240:

that guy and one amador have been hopping from one thread to another trying their best to debunk the truth.

They're on the losing side of the story, same way they are on the losing side in history...

pauladonis:


They're on the losing side of the story, same way they are on the losing side in history...

Yes oh, they are losing as long as they choose to serve us with fake ass scam and mediocrity