Android Warning: 18 apps suspected of stealing your smartphone data and downloading viruses

Android Warning: 18 apps suspected of stealing your smartphone data and downloading viruses

They are presented as legitimate tools, but are actually used by cybercriminals; Most have already been removed from the Play Store; What to do if you have them already installed

El Universal (Mexico)

Android Warning: 18 apps suspected of stealing your smartphone data and downloading viruses
Android Warning: 18 apps suspected of stealing your smartphone data and downloading viruses

As the most important device in our daily lives, The mobile phone has become a favorite target Cyber ​​criminals And one of the easiest ways to deceive their victims is through apps that seem harmless but actually hide Malicious program, Like these 18 android apps designed for theft User information.

It should be noted that before Google tries to review apps before they become available for Android devices through the Play Store, There are so many apps and hackers in such advanced strategies that some manage to bypass security.

And once again it turned out that a series of 18 apps that could be downloaded from the official Android store were intended for theft. User information. We’ll give you all the details below to let you know what they are and what to do if you have them.

These Android apps steal data

The first thing to find out is that Of the 18 apps that were identified as malicious, most were quickly removed from the Play Store, so their download levels were not very high. However, as the site notes Phone ArenaAt least three apps are still available for the new installation, including one that has garnered more than 50,000 downloads worldwide.

One of the reasons why the app has bypassed security systems is that it has an average rating of 4.8, so it will be considered a useful and safe option because most of the 900 reviews it has submitted are positive. Specialists Cyber ​​security has highlighted this issue as they have found that criminals no longer upload infected apps, but create hundreds of positive reviews to better “hide” them.

There were companies SecneurX, Kaspersky and D3Lab Those who found malware-infected applications. According to their reports, in most cases they are presented as free productivity tools, but after being installed on the phone, They are responsible for stealing user information From phone numbers Email addresses, passwords, and even credit card details.

Many of these apps have been removed
Many of these apps have been removed

This is a list of apps to watch out for

  • Document Manager
  • Coin track loan – online loan
  • Cool caller screen
  • PSD Auth Protector
  • RGB Emoji Keyboard
  • Camera Translator Pro (Camera Translator Pro)
  • Fast PDF Scanner (Fast PDF Scanner)
  • Balloon wallpaper
  • Color Messenger
  • Thug Photo Editor
  • Anime wallpaper
  • Peace SMSHappy Photo Collage
  • The messages of the original messenger pellet
  • Smart keyboard
  • Special photo editor
  • 4K wallpapers

What to do if you have a malicious app?

However, according to experts, it is unlikely that you will have any These apps are on your deviceIf you know someone you should delete. To uninstall an app, go to your phone’s settings menu, go to the Apps section to see all the downloads, select the one you want, and first click Stop.

Then select the delete option.

And so that you do not fall for scammers and the chances of getting infected with malware through the app are minimal, I follow Kaspersky’s following tips:

  • Download apps only from official stores. Although these apps were available in the Play Store, the chances of malware running on them are much lower since the company has a series of evaluation technologies.
  • Carefully check other users’ reviews. You can see hundreds of positives, but if you find any negatives, be careful to remember that cybercriminals create false comments.
  • If, after downloading the app, you notice unusual behavior on your phone, such as unexplained messages, overheating, or opening pages without a request, delete the app immediately and change all your passwords. Install the security solution on your mobile phone.

El Universal (Mexico)

Source: La Nacion

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