May 8, 2026, 11:43 am | Read time: 2 minutes
Online banking is convenient and fast–especially on the go with a smartphone. However, Android users should be cautious. The number of attacks on smartphones is rising significantly, and criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Those who conduct banking transactions via Android phones are exposing their money to growing risks.
Attacks on Android are Increasing Rapidly
As the security company “Kaspersky” explains in the Mobile Threat Report 2025, attacks by banking trojans on Android devices increased by 56 percent in 2024. At the same time, 255,090 new banking trojans were discovered–almost three times as many as the previous year. Security experts are also observing an increasing spread of backdoors that are already integrated into new devices. Anton Kivva, Malware Analyst Team Lead at Kaspersky, explains: “Users can buy a seemingly new Android device that is already infected without noticing. If such a backdoor is integrated into the firmware, attackers can gain almost complete control over smartphones or tablets.”
Millions of Devices at Risk: New Trojan Monitors Smartphones
How Easily Your Smartphone Can Be Spied On
Banking Trojans are Hard to Detect
Banking trojans operate hidden in the background and use various methods to drain accounts. In Germany, the trojan “Trojan-Proxy.AndroidOS.Agent.q” was recently active. It posed as an app for displaying discount promotions from a supermarket chain. Once on the device, a trojan can steal login credentials, PINs, and TANs, overlay invisible fields on online banking programs and websites, and even send, respond to, or delete SMS messages independently. Users usually notice nothing. Often, damage is only detected when money has already landed in criminals’ accounts.
Also of interest: Changes in withdrawing money at ATMs and supermarkets
Security Updates and App Permissions as Risks
Another problem: Security updates often arrive later or not at all on Android devices, depending on the manufacturer and model. Criminals exploit this to take advantage of vulnerabilities. Additionally, Android allows extensive access to other apps if permissions are confirmed during installation–and many do so without thinking. Virus scanners are often missing or fail to detect banking trojans.
Those who want to protect their money should be particularly cautious, only install apps from trusted sources, and perform security updates immediately. Awareness of permissions and suspicious activities can also help prevent fraud.