Over 11million iPhone and Android owners have ‘criminal’ app

OVER 11million people have been unknowingly been part of an ad-fraud scheme, according to a report.

Millions had their phones attacked by the malicious scheme, called Vastflux.

Unfortunately, there is little way of consumers knowing which apps were being used as vessels by the hackersCredit: Getty

The attacked spoofed 1,700 apps and targeted 120 publishers, Wired first reported.

Fraudsters running the operation were making requests for an eyewatering 12billion ads per day.

Cyber firm Human Security uncovered the organised attack.

Interestingly, the hackers were not trying to hijack an entire phone or app, but instead just one ad slot – in which it embedded malicious code after winning the auction for that ad space.

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The code meant that one advert would multiply into as many as 25 video ads beneath the surface – but show just one on the top.

It made the ad look just like any other.

But actually the fraudsters were raking in the cash from a huge number of advertisements, but only showing a handful of them to tech users.

Apple iOS devices, such as iPhones and iPads, were impacted the most, according to Marion Habiby, a data scientist at Human Security.

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Unfortunately, there is little way of consumers knowing which apps were being used as vessels by the hackers.

But experts warned smartphone users to watch out for unexplained jumps in data usage or having the phone’s screen turn on at random times.

They also suggested keep an eye on the performance of an app and whether it slows down suddenly or crashes frequently.

Luckily, consumers themselves were not the target and were not left out of pocket.

And in even better news, the hackers have seemingly shut off their operation after Human Security worked with the organisations who had been victims of the fraud.