Google just banned 150 dangerous Android apps that would infect and cause danger to android OS users. No matter what device you’re using, you have to be on the lookout for scams.
Any email you receive, text someone sends you, or app you download could be dangerous. We can’t even go a week without a new threat popping up. And recently there was some in-depth reporting on a scam campaign dubbed UltimaSMS.
According to Avast, 151 apps were part of the premium SMS scam campaign. These fake Android apps disguise themselves as legitimate tools. Ranging from photo editors and camera filters to games and QR code scanners. Their intent is to get victims to sign up for expensive SMS services.
Google just banned 150 dangerous Android apps
For example, If you install an UltimaSMS app, it will immediately check your phone’s location. Including its IMEI, and number to figure out which country area code and language to use for the scam. When you open the app, you’ll see a screen in your language asking you to enter your phone number and/or email address.
Once you submit the information, the app will sign you up for a premium SMS service that could cost upwards of $40 a month. At this point, the app will display even more subscription options or simply stop working. You will then be charged every week by the scam service.
And will all of this in the background android users have already downloaded these apps more than 10.5 million times. But don’t worry as Google has since banned every app that was part of this specific campaign.
You can check the full list of malware apps to make sure you don’t have any on your phone. If you do find any of the apps from that list on your phone, delete them immediately.