Police said Android smartphone users should always update the operating system to the latest version and make sure they don’t click on suspicious links. (image: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Aug. 20 (Korea Bizwire) — A Korean-Chinese hacker has been arrested on suspicion of developing mobile spyware that can not only steal one’s financial data but also bug Android smartphones, police said Wednesday.
Seoul Gwanak Police Station said the 27-year-old Seo was arrested on Aug. 5 in southern Seoul on charges of developing spyware that can be used for various means of crime, including phone fraud, gambling sites and phone-tapping.
An online gambling site operator, surnamed Song, was also arrested on the same day for allegedly using the program to manage the Web site from December 2014 to May 2015.
After learning computer programming in Yanbian, a Chinese city bordering North Korea, the 27-year-old hacker moved to South Korea, dissatisfied with the pay he earned in China.
Seo is also accused of siphoning the personal data of some 180,000 people by hacking into local Web sites from 2012 to July 2014.
“Android smartphone users should always update the operating system to the latest version and make sure they don’t click on suspicious links,” a police officer said.
(Yonhap)
