iOS, Android Malware Steals Faces to Defeat Biometrics With AI Swaps

GoldPickaxe is a sophisticated cross-platform banking Trojan disguised as a government service app that tricks primarily elderly victims into uploading face scans, government IDs, and phone numbers; attackers then create deepfakes to bypass biometric authentication at Southeast Asian banks, with at least one reported loss of about $40,000. Researchers link the malware to a Chinese-language group, note it evolved from a prior Trojan (GoldDigger), and recommend banks implement advanced session monitoring while advising users to avoid suspicious links and verify official apps.