Stefan Mileschin

Inspector Knacker of the Tokyo yard has fingered the collar of six men in connection with an Android malware campaign that netted more than $265,000.

It is the first time that coppers have targeted and brought down criminals who used Android malware to scam smartphone users and extort cash.

According to Japanese news site The Daily Yumiuri, Japan was the scene of a high-profile malware incident which resulted in the arrest of the six who included two IT executives and one former tech exec.

The six hatched out a cunning plan to create a piece of Android malware which was disguised as a video player and distributed through an adult website.

The software presumably offered adult videos or other related content, but once the app was installed it stole users' personal information, including phone numbers and e-mail addresses, which were then stored on a server hosted outside of Japan.

After the data was nicked the Android software displayed a message that demanded payment of $1,260 per person every five minutes.

The apps was distributed through third-party sites and not through the Google controlled store.

http://news.techeye.net/security/and...iters-arrested