Cybersecurity company Kaspersky has released a report which uncovered a substantial increase in mobile banking malware and crypto-related phishing in 2023. According to Kaspersky’s annual Financial Threats Report, 2023 saw an increase in the number of users facing mobile banking Trojans, with attacks on Android customers growing by 32% compared to 2022.

The company mentions that, at a geographical level, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan documented the highest share of users who encountered banking Trojans, while Turkey led mobile banking malware attacks and had nearly 3% of its users affected. More information on Kaspersky’s report Kaspersky’s research underlines that the most prominent banking Trojan was Bian.h, which accounted for 22% of all Android attacks, while Ramnit and Zbot were discovered as the prevalent malware families, targeting nearly 50% of affected users. Additionally, despite an 11% decline in financial PC malware in 2023, fraudsters continued to target consumers, with them accounting for 61.2 % of all attacks.

Throughout 2023, financial phishing maintained its position as a substantial threat, comprising nearly 28% of all phishing attacks on corporate users and approximately 31% on home users. On the other hand, PayPal phishing comprised 54.78% of phishing pages targeting electronic payment system consumers. Furthermore, Kaspersky’s report showcased a 16% year-over-year increase in cryptocurrency phishing, with 2023 registering 5.84 million detections compared to 5.04 million in the previous year. Fraudsters impersonated crypto exchanges and provided coins in the name of large enterprises, including Apple.

Also, e-shop brands attracted the most phishing attempts, more specifically 41.65% of all financial phishing cases. Amazon was one of the most imitated online stores, registering 34% of all phishing attempts, closely followed by Apple at 18.66% and Netflix at 14.71%. Representatives from Kaspersky stated that the surge in mobile malware from 2023 showcases a concerning trend in cybercrime, with attackers evolving their tactics to target mobile devices more aggressively. The current environment and the company’s findings underline the need for individuals and businesses to maintain increased vigilance, update protective measures, and improve device security.

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