Mobile banking malware surges 32 percent

Global mobile banking malware has grown by 32 percent compared to 2022, according to data from Kaspersky's latest annual Financial Threats Report for 2023.

The report, published on May 6, highlighted a surge in attacks targeting Android users, with Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan experiencing the highest share of encounters with banking Trojans. Notably, Turkey leads in mobile banking malware attacks, affecting nearly three percent of users.

Despite an 11 percent decline in financial PC malware, threats from malware families like Ramnit and Zbot persist, primarily targeting consumers. Financial phishing remains a significant concern, representing over a quarter of all phishing attacks on corporate users and nearly a third on home users. Eshop brands are the top lure for financial phishing attempts, with PayPal phishing alone constituting over half of all attempts.

Cryptocurrency-related phishing and scams are on the rise. In 2023, Kaspersky prevented over 5.8 million attempts to follow cryptocurrency-themed phishing links, marking a 16 percent increase from the previous year. Notably, Amazon emerged as the most mimicked online store in terms of phishing attempts, followed by Apple and Netflix.