Security experts warn of several new apps available on Google Play that claim to help users develop healthy habits in exchange for rewards, but they’re actually exciting. They’re just attacking you with ads.
Lucky Habit: health tracker, Lucky Step-Walking Tracker, and WalkingJoy look like they’re from the same developer, but have been downloaded over 20 million times.
However, according to Dr Web, it is lying to users by claiming that virtual rewards earned by achieving goals such as distance walked per day can be converted into real money. In fact, the purpose of this app appears to be to generate revenue for the developers by tricking users into watching ads.
“Users had to collect quite a few rewards to start the process of withdrawing what they had earned. Once this was done, the application additionally required them to watch dozens of advertising videos,” said Security. explained the vendor.
“We were then offered to watch dozens more ads to ‘speed up’ the withdrawal process. It is highly unlikely that you will receive the amount promised from the app. ”
A recent update to the Lucky Step-Walking Tracker app removed a feature that encouraged users to convert rewards into online gift cards, the company added.
Another app called “Wonder Time” encourages users to earn virtual points by installing, launching and using other programs and games. This app has been downloaded over his 500,000 times.
“However, users had to collect millions of rewards to withdraw what they ‘earned,’ while only a small number of tokens were credited when the task was completed,” said Dr. Webb. I warned you. “So even if users manage to raise the amount they need, they end up expending far more time, effort and other resources than they expected to get.”
All of the above scam apps, with the exception of Lucky Step-Walking Tracker, appear to have been pulled from Google Play at the time of writing.