A new study reveals an increase in suspicious activity on the Google Play store in recent months.
Research by Dr.Web has uncovered a large number of fake apps and Trojans designed to entice victims to subscribe to paid services, as well as an alarming rate of spyware.
The report details the growing number of apps being added to the company’s antivirus database, demonstrating that Android users should be careful when browsing the Play Store.
Android app with perks
One of the most important types of dodgy Android apps in recent months is reward-based setups.
According to Dr.Web, users are encouraged to complete various tasks, such as installing, launching and using other programs and games, to receive “virtual rewards.” These tokens are supposedly redeemable for real money or credits.
In order to be able to access rewards of true monetary value, users must collect “millions” of rewards and spend a lot of time, effort, and other resources trying to access tokens. before spending
The most notable app featured in the report is ‘Lucky Step-Walking Tracker’, with over 10 million total downloads and an average of 4.2 stars from 643,000 reviews.
Also mentioned are Lucky Habit: health tracker (5 million downloads, 3.6 stars from 193,000 reviews) and WalkingJoy (5 million downloads, 3.9 stars from 227,000 reviews). None of these apps explicitly detail in their respective Play Store descriptions that they offer financial incentives to users for completing tasks, but they do not explicitly detail in their respective Play Store descriptions that users reach certain milestones (healthy (e.g., following good habits, walking a certain number of steps, etc.) have been shown to reward reaching or watching. Some ads promise to speed up the token unlocking process.
“Lucky Steps Walking Tracker” has since removed the functionality, rendering rewards virtually meaningless. Since it shows that there is a reward that can be withdrawn at any time for the other two apps.
Dr.Web recommends that Android users install Android antivirus protection, but a more general rule of thumb is that users should remain knowledgeable when browsing online marketplaces. shown.