Apple and Google customers warned to delete popular new apps urgently after ‘fleece’ attack silently raids bank

Experts on CYBERSECURITY warned Apple users and Google users about the dangers of apps known as fleeceware, which can be used to steal your money.

British cybersecurity company Sophos identified malicious apps on Google Play Store as well as the Apple App Store.

Experts have implored Apple and Google users to beware of fleeceware apps

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Apple and Google app users have been warned to stay away from fleeceware applicationsCredit: Getty

The apps are part of a malware class known as “fleeware”, which uses a subscription-based software to steal your money every month.

Apps that are fleeceware tend to be laden with hidden charges and fees.

Apps Sophos has found are different from the traditional fleeceware because they claim to be genuine ChatGPT Tools.

ChatGPT, an advanced chatbot which generates natural language responses to prompts.

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The user will often hand money over without knowing it.

What happens when this occurs?

These apps are essentially useless, but due to the constant bombardment of ads they generate, users feel forced to pay for a paid, more sophisticated version.

These subscriptions can cost hundreds of dollars per annum to downloaders.

In a recent statement, Sean Gallagher said that the company is banking on users not paying attention to their subscription costs or forgetting that they even have one.

The apps have been designed to be so unusable that the users will not use them at all after the free trial period ends.

This leads to people uninstalling apps, not realizing they are still being charged.

How to Stay Safe

Check the app description for permissions to ensure you are not using a fleeceware application.

Both Apple and Android phones have settings that will show you exactly what apps you are spending on – be sure to check this.

Beware of “good” app reviews that are placed under the description. They can be faked and designed to encourage downloads.

You can tell if an app has a lot of grammar or functionality errors by looking at its description.

Watch out for these apps

Sophos has identified some apps which may be still available in the app store that are fleeceware.

  • AI chatbot – Ask AI Assistant
  • GAI Assistant
  • AI Chat GBT – Open Chatbot

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