Google Removed 27 Malicious Apps That Directed Users To Fake Play Store

Security researchers found out that there were 27 adware-riddled gaming apps directing users to fake Google Play Store. With prompt action on this issue, Google has immediately taken down all of these apps.

Google’s Prompt Action

A few days ago, Cyber Researchers from Quick Heal Security Lab detected 27 malicious mobile apps of dropper category and immediately notified the issue. All of these apps which led users to a fraudulent Play Store, haven been removed right away by the tech giant Google.

How Do These Apps Affect Users?

According to Quick Heal Security Lab, these apps aim to infect users’ phones with adware once someone falls into their trap that continuously installs the fraudulent “Google Play Store.”

The apps required users to install the Play Store for running the installed games. If you cancel the installation prompt, the pop-ups will constantly appear until you choose to install that app.

It would even secretly separate itself from the parent app and turn into a standalone app. Even when users chose to uninstall the parent app, the fraudulent Play Store would remain in their phones without being detected and continue to display full-screen random apps at any time.

The app constantly ran in the background and flooded the user phone’s screen with full-page ads until they did not manually uninstall it.

As to an internet security expert from Quick Heal, a developer under the name AFAD Drift Racer published all those apps, putting them in the same category - free car racing games.

How To Avoid Malicious Mobile Apps?

First thing first, before deciding to download any third-party application from any app store, make sure you have checked that app description. In addition, you should use trustworthy mobile antivirus software to avoid getting malicious and fake apps installed on your phone.

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