₦airaland Forum

I feel the car shouldn't go more than 600 max. And at the 600k, it must have a working AC and very clean body. My sincere opinion from recent experience. Good luck on your car shopping.

Preinstalled malware on low-cost Chinese phones has stolen data and money from some of the world's poorest people.

When Mxolosi saw a Tecno W2 smartphone in a store in Johannesburg, South Africa, he was attracted to its looks and functionality. But what really drew him in was the price, roughly $30 — far less than comparable models from Samsung, Nokia, or Huawei, Africa’s other top brands.

“They’re very attractive and appealing to your eyes,” Mxolosi, who asked for his last name not to be used to protect his personal safety, told BuzzFeed News. “Honestly, I was a Samsung fan but I said, ‘Let me try this new product.’”

It was another sale for Transsion, the Chinese company that makes Tecno and other low-priced smartphones, as well as basic handsets, for the developing world. Since releasing its first smartphone in 2014, the upstart has grown to become Africa’s top handset seller, beating out longtime market leaders Samsung and Nokia.

But its success can come at a price. Mxolosi, an unemployed 41-year-old, became frustrated with his Tecno W2. Pop-up ads interrupted his calls and chats. He’d wake up to find his prepaid data mysteriously used up and messages about paid subscriptions to apps he’d never asked for.

“It was expensive for me, and at some point I ended up not buying data because I didn’t know what was eating it up,” he said.

He thought it might be his fault, but according to an investigation by Secure-D, a mobile security service, and BuzzFeed News, software embedded in his phone right out of the box was draining his data while trying to steal his money. Mxolosi’s Tecno W2 was infected with xHelper and Triada, malware that secretly downloaded apps and attempted to subscribe him to paid services without his knowledge.

Secure-D’s system, which mobile carriers use to protect their networks and customers against fraudulent transactions, blocked 844,000 transactions connected to preinstalled malware on Transsion phones between March and December 2019.

Secure-D Managing Director Geoffrey Cleaves told BuzzFeed News that Mxolosi’s data was used up by the malware as it attempted to subscribe him to paid services. “Imagine how quickly his data would disappear if the subscriptions were successful,” he said.

Along with South Africa, Tecno W2 phones in Ethiopia, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Indonesia, and Myanmar were infected.

"Transsion traffic accounts for 4% of the users we see in Africa. Yet it contributes over 18% of all the suspicious clicks,” Secure-D Managing Director Geoffrey Cleaves told BuzzFeed News.

It’s the latest example of how cheap Chinese smartphones take advantage of the world’s poorest people. Current security concerns about Chinese apps and hardware have largely focused on potential back doors in Huawei’s 5G equipment. More recently, people have focused on how user data collected by TikTok could be abused by the company and the Chinese government. But an overlooked and ongoing threat is the consistent presence of malware on cheap smartphones from Chinese manufacturers and how it exacts a digital tax on people with low incomes.

A Transsion spokesperson told BuzzFeed News that some of the company's Tecno W2 phones contained the hidden Triada and xHelper programs, blaming an unidentified “vendor in the supply chain process.”

“We have always attached great importance to consumers’ data security and product safety,” they said. “Every single software installed on each device runs through a series of rigorous security checks, such as our own security scan platform, Google Play Protect, GMS BTS, and VirusTotal test.”

The spokesperson said Transsion did not profit from the malware, and they declined to say how many handsets were infected.

Michael Kwet, a visiting fellow of the Information Society Project at Yale Law School who received his doctorate in South Africa, called the idea of Chinese-made phones extracting data and money from people living in poverty “digital colonialism.”

“If you have no disposable income, you're basically left with people preying on your data,” he told BuzzFed News. “The problem we have here is that we don't have a rational business model for a digital society."


https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/craigsilverman/cheap-chinese-smartphones-malware

A

That person you called a vet is more likely to be quack sir. How can your so called vet tell you to give Flagyl (metronidazole) & Ampicillin for a sign like tenesmus?. A proper physical assessment by a veterinarian is very important to preserve the life of your dear pet. Constipation and other wide range of causes could be the indication for these signs. Please avoid quacks and Google diagnosis, make an appointment with a real vet to save the life of your dog. In the meantime, you may try give your dog more water and more food rich in fibre. I don't know if you may share your location to recommend a vet for you among my network? Cheers!

This menu was supposed to be served on Lalasticalala's birthday

Dear all, due to the increase in reports of many Nigerians experiencing recent loss of smell, loss of taste or both in the past few months, we wish to gather information as regards this for research purposes only. We humbly request anyone who has recently experienced loss of smell and/or taste to please participate. Your identity and responses in this study will be collated anonymously.

This survey takes less than 5 mins to fill and we will be grateful if you will kindly participate by clicking and forward this link to others. Thank you

gionee

TGM2015:
Supreme Court order for retrial.

He has not been acquitted. He is to start his trial afresh.

He still have cases to answer. The emphasis is necessary.

I was wondering if people commenting actually read the news piece. The Supreme Court just ordered a retrial. Period!.

#lazyNigerianyoutths

Carshopper:
Have an old model tv(very old model)

Problem: IC is bad

Comes on for a while then goes blank..

7k

Pics uploading

fear God o! this archaic junk for 7k despite it not functional as yousaid yourself

Like Boko haram many top politicians and military personnel benefiting from the military contracts will not want the insurgency quashed.

Similarly, quite a lot of people directly involved in high powered contract as regards this COVID-19 menace will not want the pandemic gone! why? Because they are also feeding fat on the money meant for its eradication. So if desperate measures are not taking my dear Nigerians, I hope while other countries are celebrating the defeat of this virus, we will still be battling ours just like we are having on Boko Haram insurgence !

She did a good job. Kudos to her and her team!

Going from the history you gave, I suspect you are suffering from filiariasis caused by either Loa loa ( vector = Mango fly >{tabanids}) or Wuchereria Bancroft ( vector = mosquitoes). Loa loa can lead most especially to the swellings (angioedema) you are observing in various parts of your body. Those who suggested you take DEC or Ivermectin ( maybe albendazole) are on the right track but you really need to see a medical doctor for proper diagnosis and follow up. Cheers!

The guy is so factual with his response. He is kinda honest with the answers he gave to questions asked

Still available?

What about traditional marriage and Islamic marriage under Sharia law? Are these not legal too?

@playcharles and others, please how does one get the interview date after filling the online application and payment because I can't find it anywhere. Please kindly treat as urgent. Thanks

Nigerian government seems not sincere on this IPPIS issue with the selective enrollment of institutions

Terrible experience for the family. May they be consoled in this trying period.

I hope he was eventually immortalized

Hustle o! So you can have an invite to higher tables

This is quite good

Can't imagine that harrowing experience

M

This is so bad.