Everyone with an Android phone put on red alert as massive new threat confirmed

Android users are well used to being targeted by fake apps and worrying malware. However, things appear to be taking a turn for the worse with security experts confirming a huge rise in scams and attacks on these popular devices.

The team at Malwarebytes says it has seen a sharp increase in Android threats since the start of 2025 with things jumping by a whopping 151% over the past few months.

Some of the biggest leaps are in SMS-based malware which uses text messages in a bid to trick unsuspecting users.

Smishing (SMS phishing) has also quickly become a highly effective tool for attackers . Criminals are also now using AI-generated texts which makes it faster to send out attacks along with making them harder to spot.

Other threats on the rise include Banking Trojans and spyware, which are now outpacing more traditional nuisances like adware and so-called riskware.

Another change is the level of sophistication now used by cyber crooks.

"Threat actors are actively distributing malware through both official and unofficial app channels, often cloaking malicious apps behind layers of legitimacy," Malwarebytes explained.

"Fake financial tools, predatory loan apps, and cleverly disguised “updates” aren’t just slipping through the cracks, they are being engineered with that objective in mind."

One of the reasons why Android continues to be such a popular platform for attacks is that so many people are running different or older versions of this software.

"With over 30% of Android devices remaining stuck on outdated operating systems, these devices are sitting ducks, because they are unable to receive critical security patches," Malwarebytes added.

If you use Android then now is a good time to stay alert and watch out for scams. It also wise to follow these top tips to to keep devices safe from attacks.

How to protect your Android device

• Get your apps from the Google Play store whenever you can.

• Be careful about the permissions you allow a new app. Does it really need those permissions for what it’s supposed to do? Permissions like “Display over other apps” should particularly raise a red flag, because they can be used to intercept login credentials.

• Don’t allow notifications as much as possible. Dubious ad sites often request permission to display notifications. Allowing this will increase the number of ads as they push them to the device’s notification bar.

• Use up-to-date and active security software on your Android.