If you ever need a reminder that scammers and criminals will do anything to get your money, you only need to pay attention to how approaches change over the years.
There are email scams using phishing techniques to build fake websites to ensnare your details, and then there were text messaging variations on that theme, though recently the Australian government has found a way to make a dent on that last one and cut through the mess.
Phones are clearly one of the obvious targets as they always have because security tends to be a little more relaxed here. It’s not that security problems aren’t found on phones, but more that phones typically lack security beyond what the operating system has.
That means phone security is often down to an issue of education and patience, forcing phone owners to pay closer attention and not rush into the urgency of following what a message says. It’s no wonder that scammers make a fortune from attacks that take place on phones.
With more people using them instead of computers, phones have become the obvious battleground.
So scammers are now turning to something we all use on our phones: apps.
It’s not so easy to install a fake app in the world of Apple, what with a complex app approval process marring many of the hopes of getting an app to collect data maliciously on an iPhone, but Android doesn’t always have the same rigourous checks, and one of Google’s methods may actually be hindering things.
Security specialists Bitdefender have recently chimed in to call out something it has found through analysis, noting that potentially deceptive apps are using the Google Early Access system to get around app checks.
While Google’s app checks may not be as stringent as the kind Apple runs on its App Store program, they do seem to exist in some form, awkward as they may be.
However, Google has an Early Access program to let developers get feedback on apps and games before release. Think of it as a test system for phone owners to see what some apps and gmes look like before they cost money.
While some of these apps and games are clearly legit, an analysis by Bitdefender shows that others may not be, with scammers using the system to bait phone owners.
These include running casino games in the guise of actual titles, faked games purporting to be a conversion of a big console name, phone tracking apps, utilities such as QR scanners and PDF file readers, and even apps suggesting you can earn money or rewards for using them.
In the real app ecosystem, they’d likely be weeded out and have their listings removed. They would almost certainly be reviewed poorly.
But in an Early Access program, Bitdefender notes that the reviews can disappear and may end up simply running ads on other platforms to the app. Social media systems such as TikTok and Facebook may be the place where scammers spend their money, running ads specifically to net victims in apps and games intended only to steal.
How to stay on guard against downloading fake apps
Frustratingly, it’s an approach that appears to be widespread, though one that does appear to have one weak point: reviews.
Much like how you probably wouldn’t go to a restaurant with poor reviews, so too might be the weakness of apps and the obvious telltale sign.
If an app has no reviews, it may be a sign that it’s either so new that it doesn’t have users, or that it might be a scam. App developers don’t always have it easy to get users, and so the first one can easily be a thing.
However, if you have found your way to an app from an advertisement or a testimonial on a social platform, and you find no reviews, it might be a sign to tread carefully.
Every app is different, and some apps in early access programs will be legitimate. They may simply be app and game developers trying to get people trying their app, giving them some feedback throughout.
But a lack of reviews and feedback from an advertised app may be the most obvious indicator, and a warning that before you install, consider the alternative and just don’t.
