Security researchers have identified a new phishing technique that uses progressive web applications (PWAs) to target customers of banks in Eastern Europe.
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PWAs are essentially websites that resemble applications that can be installed without informing the user that they are third-party apps.
Researchers at ESET say fraudsters are targeting iOS and Android users with PWAs masquerading as banking apps.
The phishers use automated voice calls, SMS messages, and social media malvertising to trick iOS into instructing victims to add a PWA to their home screens, while on Android, the PWA installs after confirming custom pop-ups in the browser.
“At this point, these phishing apps on both operating systems are largely indistinguishable from the real banking apps they imitate,” says one ESET blog.
According to ESET, most of the identified phishing apps targeted customers of Czech banks, but one was against a Hungarian bank and another against a Georgian bank.
Additionally, there appear to be two different groups responsible for the apps. ESET warns: “We expect more copycat apps to be created and distributed because once installed, it is difficult to separate the legitimate apps from the phishing apps.”