Millions of Samsung and Android Phones ‘Being Silently Charged’ By THESE Apps And You Might Need to Uninstall Theses Apps Just Incase

MILLIONS of Android users are being told to uninstall apps that could be secretly costing them money.

The malware has been designed to look like legitimate apps and has targeted 10 million Android users from over 70 countries.

According to a recent report by Zimperium Labs, the innocent-looking apps were costing unknowing Android users around $42 per month.

The money-making scheme is said to date back to November 2020.

That’s when criminals were putting the apps on the Google Play Store and third-party app stores.

Around 200 apps are said to have been involved.

They covered a range of categories, including dating and entertainment.

One app called “Handy Translator Pro” was said to have over 500,000 installs.

People affected come from worldwide, including the US, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, the UK.

Zimperium researchers Aazim Yaswant and Nipun Gupta said in their report: “While typical premium service scams take advantage of phishing techniques, this specific global scam has hidden behind malicious Android applications acting as Trojans, allowing it to take advantage of user interactions for increased spread and infection.”

The legitimate-looking apps subscribed users to premium services without them knowing and started charging them monthly.

Victims who downloaded the apps would receive notifications saying they had won a prize.

When they clicked on this notification, they were asked to give a phone number which then signed them up to a $35 per month ‘service.’

The Google Play Store has removed the apps, but you may still have some on your phone, or you may spot them in a third-party store. You can also read yourphone user manualswhich you can find in its box to better understand the functions of your phone.

If you do have the apps, uninstall them immediately.

Unfortunately, there is no way to get a refund for any money lost.

You can find all the apps in the Zimperium Labs report, but the main ones with the most installs are mentioned below.

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