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Trojan dialler afflicts Symbian smartphones

Cracked Mosquitos game harbours malware

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Malicious code that dials premium rate numbers without a user's consent has been found in a cracked version of Mosquitos 2.0, a popular game for Symbian Series 60 smartphones.

Illicit copies of the game circulating over P2P networks contain Trojan dialler software, according to reports. As a user is playing a game, the malicious code sends text messages to a premium rate number at a cost of up to £1.50 a throw. Some smartphone users have gone onto mobile forums to warn others of the scam after been stung themselves. The problem only affects cracked (pirated) copies of the game. Regular copies of Mosquito remain safe.

News of the Symbian Trojan dialler comes days after the arrival of the first Trojan for handheld computers running Windows Pocket PC operating system, Brador-A. ®

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