In the previous edition I’ve written about a new audio-based social media app called Clubhouse. This application was developed by Silicon Valley entrepreneur, Paul Davison, and former Google employee, Rohan Seth. Clubhouse based audio chat, much like radio talk in a conference call. The Clubhouse application is currently only available on the iPhone. The Android version is still under development. So, if there is a Clubhouse application for Android, it is definitely a hoax (techcrunch.com).
The site of fake clubhouse is located at joinclubhouse [.] Mobi which at first glance looks very much like the official address of the Clubhouse website (joinclubhouse.com). The main page also says, users can join if they have received an invitation from a member. If the original site redirects the user to the App Store, this fake site asks the user to download it on the Play Store. But once the user clicks the ‘Get it on Google Play’ button, the malicious application is automatically downloaded to the cellphone (kumparan.com).
Even though it looks very similar, there are several things that indicate that this site is unofficial and dangerous. Such as the use of a more secure HTTP and not HTTPS connection, and the use of a .mobi domain. After download this fake Clubhouse app, their cellphone will be compromised by a trojan named BlackRock. This malware is a variant of the LokiBot trojan that attacks financial and banking applications, as well as hundreds of other popular applications.
This malware can steal usernames and passwords for 458 well-known applications such as Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, eBay, Coinbase, Outlook, and many more. Since Clubhouse has yet to launch an official app for Android, cyber security researchers are asking users to be careful as there will be more fake clubhouse apps popping up in the future (inet.detik.com).
If you’re Android user, and most likely interest to try out Clubhouse, don’t worry. The skyrocketing popularity of Clubhouse made many technology companies competing to develop clones. Like Instagram, which was recently revealed to be developing the ‘audio rooms’ feature (screenrant.com). Instagram is not the only social media platform that has contributed to the development of Clubhouse’s design. Recently, Twitter released an audio chat feature called Spaces in beta for Android and iOS users (techcrunch.com)
TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is also developing an app similar to Clubhouse. In addition, Xiaomi has also revived the Mi Talk application to become a special audio chat application for professionals (businessinsider.com).