BANNED! These 35 malicious apps on Google Play Store STEAL money; Delete these terrifying apps now, check list | Tech News

BANNED! These 35 malicious apps on Google Play Store STEAL money; Delete these terrifying apps now, check list

35 new Android apps have surfaced that terrifyingly, install malware on users' devices and steal money from their accounts. Worryingly, these apps have been downloaded millions of times by people. If you have these scam apps, uninstall them immediately.

By: HT TECH
| Updated on: Aug 19 2022, 13:12 IST
BANNED! Call Recording apps BANNED on Google Play Store
Play Store
1/5 According to The Sun, different laws are in practice around the world. In places like US and Germany, call recording is allowed but requires that the other person must be aware and consent is taken from him or her. (Pixabay)
Play Store
2/5 In the UK, call recording is allowed, but only for personal use. It requires consent if the recording is meant to be sold to a third party or publicly released. The laws are even state specific in the US. For example, in Arizona, call recording is allowed if you are the bill payer and you own the phone. (Pixabay)
Play Store
3/5 There is also a growing concern that call recording can result in privacy breach. In the past, Google had banned a part required to make recordings by developers, although a loophole existed. But this time, Google has decided to ban it altogether for good and it will close the loophole on May 11. (Pixabay)
Play Store
4/5 Therefore, after May 11, only call recording that would be allowed is from the phone’s in-built call recorder. Therefore, devices like Xiaomi and Pixel will continue to offer call recording functionality, according to The Sun. This is because these devices alert the user that the call is being recorded. (Pixabay)
Play Store
5/5 Google announced that "If the app is the default dialler on the phone and also pre-loaded, accessibility capability is not required to get access to the incoming audio stream, and hence, will not be in violation.” (Pixabay)
Play Store
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Beware of these 35 malicious Android apps that are stealing money. Delete these scam apps. (Unsplash )

Android apps have been in the news lately due to concerns around their security. Just last month, Google deleted four apps from the Play Store after it was revealed that these contained malware. Now shockingly, 35 more Android apps have been found in Google Play Store that not only contain malware but also steal users' money without leaving any trace. If you have any of these applications downloaded on your device, you need to act fast because otherwise, all your life's savings might be gone anytime. Read on for details.

According to a blog post by cyber security firm Bitdefender, 35 new Android applications have been found on Google Play Store, which cumulatively have been downloaded more than 2 million times. These malicious apps are sneakier than others that we have seen recently because they are capable of hiding their presence by renaming themselves and changing their icon. And once they conceal their identity, they begin the terrifying process of breaking into the device.

35 Android apps discovered that install malware and steal money from users

These apps have been found to use a new trick to install malware. Instead of carrying them inside the apps (which would lead to being banned by Google if found out), these apps show aggressive ads to the users and if they end up clicking on it, instantly malware is installed into the device. The app also shows genuine ads so it can both monetize itself on the Play Store and mix it for the users to have a greater chance to get them to click.

As the apps themselves are hidden, it becomes difficult for the users to find it and delete and the less tech savvy users continue to get bombarded by malware filled ads. Once malware is installed on the device, it tracks and steals all sensitive data and eventually the user's money as well.

If you have any of these apps, you need to be extremely careful. Check the full list of the apps below:

  • Walls light - Wallpapers Pack
  • Big Emoji - Keyboard - 100K
  • Grad Wallpapers - 3D Backdrops
  • Engine Wallpapers - Live & 3D
  • Stock Wallpapers - 4K & HD
  • EffectMania - Photo Editor
  • Art Filter - Deep Photoeffect
  • Fast Emoji Keyboard
  • Create Sticker for Whatsapp
  • Math Solver - Camera Helper
  • Photopix Effects - Art Filter
  • Led Theme - Colorful Keyboard
  • Keyboard - Fun Emoji, Sticker
  • Smart Wifi
  • My GPS Location
  • Image Warp Camera
  • Art Girls Wallpaper HD
  • Cat Simulator
  • Smart QR Creator
  • Colorize Old Photo
  • GPS Location Finder
  • Girls Art Wallpaper
  • Smart QR Scanner
  • GPS Location Maps
  • Volume Control
  • Secret Horoscope
  • Smart GPS Location
  • Animated Sticker Master
  • Personality Charging Show
  • Sleep Sounds
  • QR Creator
  • Media Volume Slider
  • Secret Astrology
  • Colorize Photos
  • Phi 4K Wallpaper - Anime HD

These apps have been banned by Google but if you have these apps installed, you will have to manually uninstall them. If you're struggling to delete these apps, you should go to Settings > Apps > Manage and carefully go through the list. Some of these apps change their name and icon to ‘Settings', so if you see two Settings apps, you have found your culprit. Also keep an eye out for any app names that start with “com.android…”. Once found, instantly delete them and do not click on any notification that you do not recognize.

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First Published Date: 19 Aug, 13:12 IST
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