A 20-year-old French hacker was arrested this week after he spread a money stealing virus via smartphone "apps".
He tricked more than 17,000 victims into installing a Trojan that posed as a legitimate android application.
Once the fake app were installed, it sent SMS to premium rate numbers without user's knowledge. This allowed attacker to earn a tiny slice for each SMS. According to report, he steal about 500,000 euros (£405,00, $650,000).
The malware also designed such that it steals user credentials from gaming and gambling websites the victims had visited and used.
He admitted his crimes after he was arrested in the northern city of Amiens. According to BBC reports, Hacker told investigators he was motivated not by greed, but rather a love of computers and an ambition to be a software developer.
