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Security firm ESET uncovered a sprawling campaign of 28 fraudulent Android apps — dubbed “CallPhantom” — that falsely claimed to provide call, SMS and WhatsApp histories for any phone number and collectively racked up more than 7.3 million downloads.
The apps generated hardcoded, fake records and prompted users to subscribe to plans costing roughly $6–$80.
The campaign appears to have been active since late 2025; ESET flagged the apps to Google in December 2025 and the apps were removed from the Play Store after public disclosure in May 2026.
Most victims were in India: many apps defaulted to the +91 country code and supported UPI payment methods popular there.
Some subscriptions used Google Play billing (eligible for Play refunds); others routed payments through third-party UPI providers or in-app card forms, complicating reimbursement.
The apps employed deceptive tactics — including fake notifications and misleading developer names such as “Indian gov.in” — to build trust and pressure users into paying.
The removals followed ESET’s report; affected users are advised to check Play billing for cancellations and contact payment providers for third-party charges.








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