Anti-virus giant Avast sounded off an alarm for mobile Android users, saying that for the past months, some malware and adware have been masquerading as legitimate apps downloadable from the Google Play Store. Although the apps they identified have since then deleted by Google, who knows what damage they’ve done to unsuspecting users who thought they were just downloading a game or an app that would have made their lives easier.
The danger with these apps is that at first, they work just like any other game or app that you normally install on your smartphones or tablets. One of the most widespread ones was Durak, a card game that was installed around 5-10 million times, as per the stats on Google Play. But after you reboot your device and wait a few more days, then you start realizing that your device is not functioning as well as it should.
Every time you unlock your phone, you’ll find an ad for a sometimes legitimate website, or a prompt to update your software, or to tell you that your device is infected. Of course, you’d say yes if they ask you if you want to fix your problem, but it will lead you to fake pages, apps and app stores that will collect your data or will send you “premium” SMS without your prior knowledge. Surprisingly, they would sometimes lead to legit security apps on the Play Store, but the pop-up ads on your mobile device will still not stop.
The good news is that Google has deleted Durak, and other apps that have been flagged as malware, like a Russian history app and an IQ test app. The problem is that some malicious developers will still try this tactic. You can try out some really legitimate apps, like Avast Mobile Premium, that can detect harmful apps like these to protect your smartphone from being “infiltrated”.
SOURCE: Avast
