Researchers are warning users to delete a popular Android keyboard app that, once downloaded, makes unauthorized purchases of premium digital content. Google told Threatpost it has removed the app from its Google Play marketplace – but researchers say it was downloaded on at least 40 million phones worldwide and thus remains a threat.
The app, Ai.type, allows users to personalize their keyboard with various fonts and emojis and was developed by Israeli firm Ai.type Ltd., according to researchers with mobile tech company Upstream. Ai.type Ltd. did not respond to a request for comment from Threatpost.
Once downloaded, researchers said the app makes “suspicious” requests to trigger the purchase of premium digital services in the background – so users are unaware of the activity. Upstream detected 14 million such transaction requests from 110,000 unique devices that downloaded the Ai.type keyboard. If these transactions had not been detected and blocked, the app could have cost victims as much as $18 million, researchers said.
“The app has been delivering millions of invisible ads and fake clicks, while delivering genuine user data about real views, clicks and purchases to ad networks,” said Upstream researchers
on Thursday. “Ai.type carries out some of its activity hiding under other identities, including disguising itself to spoof popular apps such as Soundcloud. The app’s tricks have also included a spike in suspicious activity once removed from the Google Play store.”
