# Fake call logs, real payments: How CallPhantom tricks Android users

DevFeed: [Fake call logs, real payments: How CallPhantom tricks Android users](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/fake-call-logs-real-payments-how-callphantom-tricks-android-users-8367.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.welivesecurity.com/en/eset-research/fake-call-logs-real-payments-how-callphantom-tricks-android-users/>)

Author: Lukas Stefanko

Published: 2026-05-07T08:51:19Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [WeLiveSecurity](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/welivesecurity.md>)

Topics: [Android](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/android.md>), [Google](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/google.md>), [App](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/app.md>), [Reddit](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/reddit.md>)

Tags: [android](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/android.md>), [apps](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/apps.md>), [data](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/data.md>), [eset-research](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/eset-research.md>), [google](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/google.md>), [payments](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/payments.md>), [scam](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/scam.md>), [subscriptions](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/subscriptions.md>), [whatsapp](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/whatsapp.md>)

## AI overview

ESET researchers investigated 28 fraudulent Android apps called CallPhantom that claimed to reveal call histories, SMS records, and WhatsApp call logs for any phone number. After users paid for subscriptions, the apps returned randomly generated data. The apps had more than 7.3 million cumulative downloads and were reported to Google, which removed them from Google Play.

## Source excerpt

ESET researchers uncovered fraudulent apps on Google Play that claim to provide the call history "for any number" and had been downloaded more than seven million times before being taken down