Google BANS 4 apps from Play Store! Delete these Joker malware apps on your phone NOW

Google has removed four dangerous apps which were found to be carrying the dangerous Joker malware. Do you have these apps on your phone? Check now.

Cybersecurity researchers warned Android users to delete these Joker malware apps now. (Pixabay)

Joker malware is back on Play Store! Some malware-loaded apps have made their way onto the Google Play Store from where many people downloaded them without realising that they were dangerous. And one of these is the Joker Malware, which has been a persistent threat to Android users. It was first detected in 2017 and became the most popular choice of cybercriminals to hijack phones of Android users.

Cybersecurity researchers have repeatedly warned about the Joker Malware, a spyware Trojan that allows hackers to invade phones of victims and install dangerous malware on devices. As the malware is back, it was- eventually spotted on some Google Play Store apps. The concerning part is that it has over 100,000 combined installs! The cybersecurity research firm Pradeo discovered this Joker malware in four apps on Google Play Store, These are, Smart SMS Messages, Blood Pressure Monitor, Voice Languages Translator, and Quick Text SMS-a SamMobile report mentions.

Do Android users need to worry about these Joker malware-loaded apps?

Thankfully, the research team has informed Google and it has removed these apps from the Play Store. But before the removal process, it has already been downloaded over 1 lakh times! That means a number of users are already in trouble. While Google has removed these apps, but more than a lakh of users still have these apps on their phones.

The Joker malware was used to carry out SMS-linked fraud in the initial stage. But with time, it evolved into a powerful tool to invade victims' devices without even letting them know.

How dangerous can they be? Well, they can even intercept one-time passwords and security codes, reading notifications, taking screenshots without leaving any traces, sending and reading SMS messages and even making calls. In fact, this malware is capable of doing almost everything on your device.

What should Android users do?

All Android users should keep an eye on their downloaded applications list. In case they have any of these apps, then researchers suggest that these should be uninstalled right now, as these apps can open all gates for hackers to infect Android smartphones or other devices.