All users confirmed their phone was “acting up” with problems such as unexpected data use, overheating and reduced battery even when the device was not in use. We purchased three of these devices from their owners and placed them in our lab for investigation.

This was cross checked with reports from multiple users noting their handsets were performing non-user initiated subscriptions to digital services leading to unwanted airtime charges. Secure-D recorded a high number of suspicious transactions across multiple countries originating from VidMate. According to publicly available information, VidMate was developed by a subsidiary of UC Web, which is owned by Chinese conglomerate Alibaba. VidMate is not available on Google Play store but can be downloaded through third-party app stores like CNET or Uptodown. VidMate is a popular Android app that allows users to stream and download videos and songs from services such as Dailymotion, Vimeo and YouTube. If not blocked, they would have subscribed users to premium digital services potentially costing them up to $170 million in unwanted charges. These transactions originated from 4.8 million unique mobile devices across 15 countries. Over a recent period, Secure-D, detected and blocked more than 128 million suspicious mobile transactions initiated by VidMate. Consequently, it depletes users’ data allowance and brings unwanted charges. A hidden component within the app delivers invisible ads, generates fake clicks and purchases, installs other suspicious apps without consent and collects personal users’ information. VidMate is a popular video Android app with over 500 million downloads that triggers suspicious background activity.

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