Alert! Remove these 3 bank info-stealing malicious apps from your phone now

These applications can steal your banking information, wreak havoc on your account. Remove them from your Android phone now!

Remove these malicious apps from your phone now! (Pixabay)

If you're an Android user, then you've got the Google Play Store to download millions of apps meant for any and all tasks under the Sun. Want new widgets on your phone, you've got an app for that. Don't like the look of your home screen, you can customize with downloadable launchers. You can even find similar, if not better replacements for stock apps such as file manager, music player and more. However, like Apple, Google too screens apps for malware, but many times some potentially harmful apps slip under the radar. That means eve on Google Play Store, there are apps with malware on them.

These apps, when downloaded on your smartphone, can not only steal your data, but could also potentially put your financial information at risk, leave your phone exposed to hacks and even brick your phone, leaving you a worthless and over-expensive paperweight.

Now, a recent report by cybersecurity firm ThreatFabric has revealed 5 applications on the Google Play Store which are prone to stealing your bank information via screen recording. The apps steal your information via a process called distribution through droppers.

The report said, “Distribution through droppers on official stores remains one of the most efficient ways for threat actors to reach a wide and unsuspecting audience. Although other distribution methods are also used depending on cybercriminals targets, resources, and motivation, droppers remain one of the best option on price-efforts-quality ratio, competing with SMiShing.”

The 3 apps stealing data are:

1. My Finances Tracker: Budget

2. Zetter Authenticator

3. Recover Audio, Images & Videos

However, there are various signs you can watch out for before downloading any app.

Signs to watch out for:

1. See the app permissions

With the new Android updates, whenever you download any app, it asks you for various permissions depending on its purpose. For example, a photo editing app might request access to your storage space, camera, microphone and photo gallery. However, you should always keep an eye out for any app asking for unusual permissions such as access to your personal information, contacts and more.

2. Check the reviews

Always check the app reviews before downloading it. People post app reviews based on their user experience.

3. See the number of downloads

Any app that is potentially harmful might have only a handful of downloads. So, only download apps which have already been downloaded a respectable number of times.

4. Read the app description

Google Play Store provides an app description along with information about the app creator. You can click on the developer's name to see a list of other apps they have developed. Therefore, only install apps from trustworthy sources.