Google is clamping down on dodgy Android mobile apps in its Play Store, after it was revealed that the popular app store had several dangerous pieces of software available to install.
The Play Store reportedly had apps with more than 300,000 downloads which concealed nasty malware, known as Joker, Coper, and Facestealer.
One of these viruses, Joker, made it possible for criminals to steal sensitive information from smartphones, copy text messages, duplicate call lists, and even sign up victims to pricey monthly subscriptions to drain their bank accounts.
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The 'Facestealer' virus even overlays apps with a fake login form to steal your Facebook details and use it to nick your identity.
Meanwhile, the Coper malware can steal your text messages and then send viruses onto your contacts.
Dozens of apps have now been removed from the Play Store, meaning they're no longer available to download.
However, if you have them installed on your device, you could still be at risk.
Security experts are therefore warning Android users to uninstall the following apps and perform an antivirus scan afterwards:
- Vanilla Snap Camera
- Simple Note Scanner
- Universal PDF Scanner
- Funny Keyboard
- Enjoy Message
- Unicc QR Scanner
You can view the full list here
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Security experts at ZScaler said: "If you become a victim of a malicious app from the Play Store, inform Google about it immediately through the support options in your Play Store app.
"It is important that we work together to identify, flag, and remove malicious apps from our preferred app stores as soon as possible to limit the spread of malware and inhibit the success of threat actors."
If you do want to install a new app from the Play Store, it is worth doing a quick Google search of the app's name to double-check that it isn't anything dodgy.
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