Mumbai: Researchers have warned that scammers are using the popularity of the satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) to spread a fake Android app that can take over phones and steal personal information.
TraceX Labs, a Mumbai-based cybersecurity firm, published a 33-page report dated May 22 describing the fake app. The report says the app pretends to be the official CJP application but contains hidden software that can spy on users and let attackers control infected phones remotely, as reported by Outlook.
How People Are Getting It
According to the report, the fake app has been shared widely via WhatsApp forwards, Telegram groups and unofficial websites using the domain “cockroachjantaparty[.]org”. The app asks for many powerful permissions on the phone — access to text messages, contacts, files, call history, camera and a feature called accessibility. These permissions let an app read private messages, copy one-time passwords (OTPs), look at who you call, and see what’s on your screen.
What The App Does
“The application began requesting a large number of dangerous permissions, including access to SMS messages, contacts, call logs, camera, storage, and most critically, the accessibility service,” said Santhosh Kumar, who described how the probe began after TraceX received an APK named “Cockroach Janta Party.apk” via WhatsApp.
The researchers found parts of the app that look built to grab call logs and other private data.
How Attackers Control Phones
TraceX’s team found signs that the fake app sends information out soon after installation and connects to suspicious websites. The attackers use Telegram (a messaging app) to send commands and receive stolen data, the report said.
Why This Is Happening
Experts say criminals are increasingly using viral political jokes and memes to trick people —especially younger users — into installing dangerous apps from unofficial links.
“Attackers are leveraging meme culture and politically trending content to socially engineer Gen Z users into installing malware through unofficial APK links,” said N. Ashwin.
Kiran Singh Rajpurohit added that “politically viral content, Telegram communities and WhatsApp chains are becoming major distribution channels for Android spyware in India.”
Researchers urged users not to download APK files from unofficial sources and asked Abhijeet Dipke —the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) — to publicly confirm that the fake app is unrelated to the platform.
