Fake apps! Don’t get tricked by these chameleons!

iOS Messages will try to trick you into paying subscription fees. Immediately after installing this app, I received a prompt to pay weekly ($3.99) or annually (around $34.99). You can actually close this option and use the app for free, but features like scheduling and blocking require a subscription. You get them for free on Messages by Google. Overall, this app works somewhat, but it’s not well designed and tries to extort money from you. Some users report that after subscribing to iOS Messages, the app started randomly withdrawing money from their bank account, but I haven’t been able to test this.

iOS 16 Messages: Then I installed this one, and by the way, when you install these apps, they change their name on your phone. The app attempts to imitate the iPhone messaging app. It seems to work, but it’s absolutely loaded with ads after ads – to the point of being unusable.

Smart messages: This one appears to be a legitimate messaging app, but I don’t see any reason why anyone should use it. It charges ($12.99) per year to remove the ads. He has a terms and conditions page where it is indicated which AD providers are used (Google AdMob, Twitter MoPub, Facebook Audience Network and Smaato.), etc. but you can refuse.

There’s another elephant in the room with most of these apps. You cannot request deletion of your data. Which means that once you install these apps, your data no longer belongs to you.

The most popular case involves an app called SmartThings, which masquerades as a Samsung product. This app is a simple remote control for smart TVs made by Samsung and other smart home gadgets, but it requires a subscription. There is a thread about it and several articles telling the stories of various victims.

Actually the app name is Smart TV Things app for Sam TV and that should be enough of a wake-up call. I also tried this one, and it works a bit, very slow to connect to your network, it does the job of TV Remote but it asks for a subscription, while Samsung’s own SmartThings app is completely free.

The situation is similar in other app stores, such as the Huawei App Gallery, Xiaomi Store, and even the Galaxy Store. The apps above tried to scam me for subscriptions and misuse my information for advertising purposes, but that’s not the worst that can happen to you. What are the potential dangers?

Fake apps can steal your money, but that’s not all

Subscription/billing fraud – this is obviously the most common way to steal money. The apps will try to get you to sign up for a service and then drain your bank account.

Adware/Malware – most often, these fake apps are full of adware and malware, serving you suspicious ads and selling all the information to shady companies around the world.

Virus/Ransomware – fake applications could host dangerous viruses; some of them are known as ransomware. They encrypt all your data and extort money from you in order to get it back.

These are the most common threats, but there are many others: spambots that start sending messages to your contacts; Trojan horses that take control of your phone; phishing apps that can drain your bank account in seconds; root kits; and more. What to do?

How to recognize fake apps

There are little clues here and there, and if you pay just a little attention, you’ll be able to detect these fake apps long before they arrive on your phone.

Visual cues – Look for discrepancies in the visual representation of the application. The logo may look like an app you know, but there will be differences: slightly different colors and shapes, for example. If this sounds fishy, ​​read the name and description carefully.

Spelling/grammar errors – Often there will be intentional errors in the application’s spelling or direct grammatical errors. This is done to avoid copyright infringement by the real company that owns the real app, which the imposter app is trying to imitate.

Notes/Comments – This one can be tricky because there are fake reviews and review bots, but you can check the app score and user reviews just in case. If the score is low or the review section is disabled, that’s a red flag.

Check the number of downloads – If an app claims to be an iMessage alternative for Android, chances are millions of people have already downloaded it. If the app has been downloaded several hundred or thousands of times, that’s a red flag.

Conclusion

There is no such thing as a perfectly safe environment. And this also applies to our phones. Anything connected to the Internet is a potential security risk. This doesn’t mean you should burn your phone and go live in a cave. No way. We constantly live with different levels of risk in all kinds of areas.

You could be hit by a car or a brick from a nearby construction site, or you could be attacked, get sick, or choke on something. If we start thinking seriously about all this, it will lead to paranoia and we will end up locked in our homes.

The key is to be aware without giving in to fear, and this extends to smartphone apps as well. With a little extra effort and knowing all the pitfalls, you could tackle these fake apps and other smartphone dangers. Don’t rush and spend a few moments checking for red flags before installing something on your phone. This could save you money and a lot of gray hairs.