You might think that anybody would be wary of downloading a game called Mosquito but especially one which can't vouch for its bona fides.

But no: people have been downloading a Trojan, which instantly turns their phone into a money well for some anonymous hacker...

Edited by author 08-13-2004 06:15 AM
Firstly, the link to "ttp://www.symbian.com/press-office/2004/pr040810.html" probably should be http://www.symbian.com/press-office/2004/pr040810.html , yeah?

And the game is called "Mosquitos", apparently - plural.

Secondly, it's been reported elsewhere that premium-rate charges aren't involved, perhaps because the numbers concerned were disconnected, or weren't premium-rate, Or never existed, or a combination of the above. Ah... http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/mquito.shtml says disconnected (citing "the manufacturer", who didn't tell us, because that lowers the fear level). It'll still cost you, though, regular rate, say ten pence each. Presumably if the premium service was running, it'd only do it once...?

So, conclusions were jumped to - and a misapprehension can run around the online world before the truth has got its Nike trainers on.

According to the Symbian release, this is a hacked pre-release version of the software which did contain a phone-home function. The software author's site is presently mum.

I notice the Symbian FAQ doesn't include "how do I get my money back?" So presumably you don't, just as with PC rogue diallers.

.

Thanks very much! I've corrected the link - duh - and stuffed in a paragraph pointing to your story.