Fake Indeed apps infecting Android-using job seekers with malware
The malware gives criminals control over infected devices.
The Indeed logo. Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images
- Scammers use fake Indeed job listings to push Android users toward a malicious "Indeed interview" app.
- The app is not on Google Play and requires sideloading from an unknown source.
- Malwarebytes says the app installs spyware that can control devices and block uninstall attempts.
- Researchers advise verifying job offers separately and refusing interview apps from unknown sources.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
As job interviews have become one of the most popular attack vectors among scammers, they've now started exploiting trust in Indeed, a major employment website.
Cybersecurity firm Malwarebytes said it had found several reports indicating that criminals are using fake job listings on Indeed, one of the world’s largest employment platforms, to target job seekers with Android malware.
The process is similar to other fake job interview-related attacks, as scammers try to lure potential victims into downloading malicious software.
In the Indeed case, criminals pretend to be from recruitment firms and, after an initial contact, urge victims, e.g., to install a special "Indeed interview" app to go through the hiring process.
According to security researchers from Malwarebytes, scammers are trying to lure their victims into downloading a malicious app by saying that "identity verification is required," "salary agreement is available after app installation," and using other tricks.
What's more, the app isn’t hosted on Google Play – the criminals instruct their victims on how to download it. The security researchers classify these apps as Trojan droppers, which are first-stage malware components designed to get another malicious payload, in this case spyware, onto the victim's device.
This spyware can give criminals control over infected devices, but, for now, no financial losses besides one user claiming they needed to get a new phone have been reported.
My phone was completely compromised and was advised to factory reset it by my bank as there were attempts to log me out. Thankfully no money lost! Ended up having to get a new phone since i got stuck in a loop with 2FA not letting me in to verify my passwords on my old one,a person said on Reddit.
Malwarebytes also confirmed that the malware is capable of preventing an uninstall, as when the victim tries to do so in Android Settings, the malicious application forces the screen back.
According to the researchers, if you want to stay away from these traps, simply remember that "a job interview should not require you to sideload an Android app, enable a VPN connection, or install software from an unknown source."
What's more, verify job offers through other channels and don’t install apps just because someone tells you to.
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