Today apps are everywhere. From smartphones to smartwatches, laptops, and TVs. In fact, the app ecosystem is the stuff that complements these devices. And whether it's an Android phone or an iOS device or a Windows machine, there are plenty of free apps you can download. This applies to all categories, from shopping and productivity to entertainment and games. And besides free apps, there are many problems with fake apps.
Google has added several security checks in the Play Store to detect and remove duplicate applications. However, there are cases where fraudulent apps still enter the Play Store. Whenever such apps are reported, Google removes them. But some are still unidentified.
While some of the apps display annoying banner ads, some pose a serious threat. There are applications that have malware that can steal your personal information, such as contacts, reading your messages and more. Some also get access to your storage, cameras and more. There are scammers who can benefit from reading the bank account and credit card information.
A few months ago, Trend Micro identified banking malware applications on Google Play, which used motion sensors to hide identity. This trick allows the detector to remain undetected while running emulators to detect such malware attacks. In fact, in 2018, Kaspersky Lab found that 4 percent of Indian consumers were hit by banking trojans. These apps allow attackers to access a bank account number, passwords, and transfer funds. Here are some tricks to spot and avoid fake apps. Here's how.
Step 1 When you search for an app in the Play Store, there may appear to be more than one app with the same name. The difference between them is usually spelling mistakes in name and description. Before downloading, make sure you read the description of the app to detect these errors.
Step 2: When you check the app description page, look for tags like "Editor's Choice" and "Top Developer" because these are fewer fake apps. You may visit the publisher's website carefully before downloading it.
Step 3: When downloading popular apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, and PBG Mobile, the download number is definitely higher. However, if an app has approximately 5,000 or fewer downloads, it is more likely to be a fake app.
Step 4: Checking screenshots is another way to know for sure about the app. The fake app contains weird words and strange photos in screenshots. Similarly, after checking, downloading and using reviews and ratings, you get an idea of what customers think.
Step 5: Next, look at the app publication date. If this is a new app from a leading company, it will have a recent publication date. But mostly duplicate apps have a recent publication date, while a real app has an "updated" date.
Step 6: Finally, this is a very important aspect when looking for duplicate applications. See the permissions the app is asking for. Say you've downloaded a third-party messaging app that requires permission to store a phone book, dialer, and backup. If it's asking for permissions for the camera, audio, and more, there's a reason to worry. Also, make sure you don't give the app such permissions.
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