The ‘Joker’ virus, which infects Android devices and hides in numerous applications on the Google Play Store, has made a comeback, according to Belgian police. This virus is capable of automatically enrolling users to payment systems and emptying their bank accounts without their knowledge.
“This malicious program has been detected in eight Play Store applications that Google has suppressed,” said the Belgian authorities.
In 2017, the ‘Joker’ virus made headlines for infecting and stealing users by lurking in several programs. Since then, Google Play Store defensive systems have identified and deleted around 1,700 applications that contain the ‘Joker’ virus before they are downloaded by consumers.
The ‘Joker’ malware was discovered in 24 Android applications in September 2020, with over 500 thousand downloads before being deleted. It is estimated that more than 30 nations were affected at the time, including the United States, Brazil, and Spain. Hackers may take up to $ 7 (approximately 140 Mexican pesos) per subscription every week through unauthorized memberships, a figure that has most certainly grown in recent months.