Fake Call History Apps on Google Play Steal Payments, Hit 7.3M+ Downloads

Gbhackers •Mayura Kathir • May 7, 2026

28 fake “call history” utilities on Google Play, collectively installed more than 7.3 million times, have been exposed as subscription scams that generate fabricated logs instead of real phone records, with several also bypassing Google’s official billing system to make refunds harder for victims. The CallPhantom apps advertise an impossible service: detailed call histories, SMS […]

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CallPhantom Fraudulent Apps Scam Millions of Android Users A series of fraudulent apps named CallPhantom were discovered on Google Play, promising access to call histories for any phone number. Users were tricked into paying for subscriptions, only to receive fabricated data. ESET identified 28 such apps, which collectively garnered over 7.3 million downloads, primarily targeting users in India and the Asia-Pacific region. The apps generated random call data and displayed it to users after payment. ESET reported these apps to Google, leading to their removal from the Play Store in December 2025. User reviews indicated widespread dissatisfaction, with many victims claiming they were scammed. The apps exploited users' curiosity about private communication data. No malware was found in these apps, indicating a purely fraudulent scheme. 5 sources 53

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Fake Call History Apps on Google Play Steal Payments, Hit 7.3M+ Downloads

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