MARLTON, N.J. - Marylandian -- According to a recent news report, a new type of scamware, called "Dark-Herring," may have scammed upwards of 105 million victims globally. The law firm of Console & Associates, P.C. is opening an investigation into the multi-million-dollar Dark-Herring scamware scheme. If evidence emerges that certain app stores or technology companies were negligent and allowed the scam to operate—even unknowingly—there may be the potential for a large-scale class action lawsuit.

Console & Associates, P.C.'s class action lawsuit attorneys are currently interviewing victims of the scam and investigating what compensation may be available. More in-depth information on this scamware event and the investigation being conducted can be found at https://www.myinjuryattorney.com/dark-herring-scamware-class-action-lawsuit/.

Dark Herring is not the first instance of scamware; however, it is unique both in its level of sophistication and the scope of the affected parties. According to the report, the creators of the Dark Herring scam first began bilking users in March 2020, and the most recent instance of the scam appears to be in November 2021. Over this period, the report alleges that there were over 470 malicious applications available through the Google Play store and other third-party app stores. The report estimates that 105 million Android users' phones may be infected with the Dark Herring scamware.

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What Is Dark Herring?

Scamware is a type of malware, or malicious software, that manipulates users into buying unwanted software. The most common example of scamware is those pop-up ads explaining that your computer has been infected with a virus and that you need to click a link to purchase software to fix the problem.

Dark Herring is a sophisticated scamware program that tricks users into signing up for automatic monthly bills through a process called "direct carrier billing."  Direct carrier billing is common among cellular phone service providers. This is the process that allows a company that markets an app to collect payment from a user through their cell phone bill. For example, if a user downloads an app with a monthly subscription cost, the developer of the app doesn't need to send the user a separate monthly bill. Instead, the user will see the charges on their monthly cell phone bill.

Dark Herring takes advantage of direct carrier billing. Here is it works: The orchestrators of the scam set up malicious web pages that review a user's geographic location. Once a user's location is determined, the website routes them to another local webpage that is in their language. The idea is that users are more comfortable agreeing to information requests from websites in their own language.

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Once the user is rerouted to the targeted webpage, the page then asks the user to confirm their identity by providing their cell phone number. However, what users don't know is that they are not actually confirming their identity; instead, they are signing up for direct carrier billing. The average monthly charge is $15 per month; however, because users do not realize they signed up for any service, most users go several months without noticing the unauthorized charges. And because the application stays on a user's mobile phone, the billing can continue into perpetuity.

Console & Associates P.C. is committed to protecting consumers' privacy interests from the ever-present threat of cyberattacks. The firm investigates all types of scamware, data breaches, ransomware attacks and other network intrusions to determine the legal rights of consumers who trusted corporations with their personal data. Consumers can reach Console & Associates, P.C. through the firm's website at https://www.myinjuryattorney.com/consumer-privacy-data-breach-lawyers/.