Love to download apps? Start worrying! Fakes spotted on Google Play Store: Find out how to stay safe

 
In a big worry for all those who love to download apps on their smartphones, fake apps with more than 50,000 installations on Google Play Store have been spotted by Quick Heal Security Lab. The global IT security firm said that these apps appear genuine as PDF reader, PDF Downloader, PDF Scanner etc., but don’t have such functionality. In a press statement, the company added that the purpose of these apps is to increase the download count of other applications and improve their ratings. According to the firm, these apps prompt users to download and rate 5 star to sponsor apps in order to unlock this application. 

Once the other application is installed and rated, the users are allowed to used the PDF reader after 24 hours. But after 24 hours, the same loop starts. The apps once again ask users to login with some created password and asks them to download the same application.

"The application just loads a URL “https://shar*********.blogspot.com/p/index.html” and displays the above webpage. It does not have any permissions in manifest related to PDF reader or converter," the company added. 

Here is how users can stay safe -

1. Please check the description of the app carefully before downloading it. 

2. Check the name of app developer and its website. If the name seems strange, be alert. 

3. Read the reviews of the app carefully. Even these can be fake. 

4. Avoid downloading apps from third-party app stores.

5. Use a reliable antivirus that can prevent fake and malicious apps from getting installed on phone.

Quick Heal Security Lab asks users to be careful while downloading these fake applications. It has already reported the identified apps to Google and urges users to go through the review before downloading any app.