It should be a rule of thumb not to buy cheap Chinese smartphones, no matter how compelling they sound in the description.
The reason to avoid such bargain is not to support the national economy and local tech behemoths, but to support your own safety and quality of life.
A recent German report coming from the security firm G Data Software says the tech and safety experts from the company found malicious spyware deeply hidden in at least two such cheap Chinese smartphones.
If you are interested in purchasing a handset online, beware of the models Star N9500 and possibly the Orient N9500. They are manufactured in China, sold on Amazon and eBay, among other online retailers, and said to be infected with spying software.
According to the security’s firm statements, their team spent a week to trace the phones back to their original manufacturer, but they couldn’t.
There is nothing embedded inside the phone, no reference and no documentation in order to identify and trace the cheap Chinese smartphones producer that is spying on you. As odd as it may seem, this is not an isolated incident. In fact, the German company took action in this direction after several customers complained about their phones coming from different Chinese manufacturers.
What is this spyware and what can it do to you? Let’s listen to tech experts who took a deep look into the matters:
According to a German security company G Data, the spyware, called Uupay.D, is capable of intercepting personal data transmitted over the phone, such as banking data, phone calls, email messages and text messages. It then transmits that data to a server in China. G Data said Uupay.D can also remotely control the phone’s camera and microphone and covertly install more malware onto the device. And if you were worried about accidentally deleting the spyware, don’t worry, Uupay.D is embedded in the smartphone’s firmware at the factory and can’t be uninstalled.
This is a serious threat, no matter how you look at it. Buying cheap Chinese smartphones (which are not properly branded and trusted) was never a good idea, because of their low quality standards, but now that you are aware you are a beacon for all frauds out there trying to steal something from you, buying such device is incomparably more dangerous. It is also a bad idea to send personal information and financial details over the phone, no matter what high – end handset you use, so be aware of the perils you expose yourself to in the future!
The occurrence of such incidents is higher than you think and experts assume this type of malevolent phones will see a rise in numbers. They might look decent and even have some interesting features or high performance levels, but if you can’t find out anything about the company , or the phone looks too good to be true, you’re probably paying money to be hacked.
