Zimperium has identified 64 new variants of the Joker Android malware in September alone. The malware is a mobile trojan that carries out a type of billing fraud that researchers categorize the malware as fleeceware The Joker apps advertise themselves as legitimate apps (like games, wallpapers, messengers, translators and photo editors) Once installed, they simulate clicks and intercept SMS messages to subscribe to unwanted, paid premium services. The apps are commonly found outside of the official Google Play store, but Joker apps have continued to skirt Google Play’s protections since 2019.
Source: https://threatpost.com/joker-trojans-android/159595/