Google Play app promised to reveal anyone's call history — charged ₹400–₹6,500 and returned fake data
Fake 'call history reveal' apps on Google Play Store promised to show anyone's calls and WhatsApp logs. After paying via UPI (₹400–₹6,500), users received randomly-generated fake data. 28 such apps reached 7.3M downloads — 53% from India.
Also known as: CallPhantom scam, fake spy app Google Play, call history reveal app fraud, fake call log lookup app
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
Call 1930 now- 1 Call 1930 — the national cyber-crime helpline — right now. The sooner you report, the better the chance of freezing the money before it moves.
- 2 Call your bank to freeze the account and block the card immediately. Use the number printed on your card, never a number from the message or caller.
- 3 File a report at cybercrime.gov.in and keep every message, screenshot, and transaction ID.
What to do right now
- 1 Do not download any app claiming to reveal another person's private call history — these are subscription traps delivering fake data
- 2 If you paid via UPI or credit card inside the app, raise a dispute with your UPI provider or bank immediately
- 3 If you subscribed via Google Play's billing, check your Play Store purchase history and request a refund
- 4 UPI payments made directly inside these apps go to fraudsters and cannot be recovered through Google
- 5 Report at https://cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930 (national cyber helpline).
Red flags
- ⚠ No Android app can legally access another person's private call history — any app claiming to do so is a scam
- ⚠ The app preselects India's +91 country code and accepts UPI payments — a sign it specifically targets Indian users
- ⚠ After paying, you receive call data with names, timestamps, and durations — but all are randomly generated and fake
- ⚠ The app does not request call log or contacts permissions, which any real call-history tool would require
- ⚠ Push notifications claim 'your report is ready' to pressure payment from users who closed the app
Sources
- ESET Research — Fake call logs, real payments: How CallPhantom tricks Android users (May 2026)
- Help Net Security — CallPhantom Android scam reached 7.3 million downloads on Google Play (May 7, 2026)
- TechRadar — CallPhantom scam spread across 28 Google Play apps downloaded over 7 million times (May 2026)
- Indian Web 2 — ESET Exposes CallPhantom Scam: 28 Fake Call-History Apps Removed From Google Play (May 2026)