In the Google Play Store 7 infected apps have been discovered that steal money with paid services: how to protect yourself from fleeceware apps
The security team of antivirus Avast has discovered in the Google Play Store 7 more infected apps that put users, especially gamers, at risk. They are "fleeceware" apps, which offer modifications and colorful backgrounds for video games, but steal hundreds of euros a month from users.
The infected fleeceware apps are mainly aimed at Minecraft gamers, and the most at-risk users are children, who may not notice the small print that after the short trial period indicates a hefty weekly subscription fee. The user will then find himself paying up to $30 per week, for having deceptively taken out an expensive subscription, and with his credit drained. After Avast's report, the apps are still available in the Google Play Store, so it will be good to check if one of the infected apps is among those downloaded by gamers.
Infected apps: what is fleeceware
Fleeceware apps represent a relatively new category of cybercrime. Usually these apps offer an attractive service with a short free trial period. Then they automatically start overcharging the user, up to $30 per week, banking on the fact that the user has forgotten about the installed app and doesn't realize the real cost of the subscription.
It's not easy to spot these infected apps at first glance in app stores. However, a red flag should go off if you read the reviews, which are only 1 or 5 stars, while reviews with intermediate ratings are completely missing.
Ondrej David, head of Avast's malware analysis team, explained that the users most at risk here are children: "Scams of this nature take advantage of those who don't always read the fine print details of every app they download. In this case, children are particularly at risk because they may think they are innocently downloading a Minecraft accessory, but don't understand or may not pay attention to the details of the service they are subscribing to."
App infette: come proteggersi
Il consiglio per proteggersi da queste app fleeceware, e da qualsiasi altro malware che si nasconde nel Play Store, è sempre lo stesso: controllare con attenzione la descrizione dell’applicazione, gli accordi di fatturazione e le recensioni degli altri utenti prima di scaricarne una.
Se si ritiene di aver installato un’app che possa celare un fleeceware, rimuoverla dal dispositivo non è sufficiente per annullare l’abbonamento. Gli utenti dovranno accedere al Play Store, fare tap sull’icona del menu in alto a sinistra e poi su Abbonamenti per verificare se ve ne siano di attivi e poi disabilitarli.
App infette da rimuovere subito: quali sono
Questi sono i passaggi da seguire se avete installato una delle 7 app infette nel Google Play Store di questo elenco stilato dal team di sicurezza di Avast:
- Skins, Mods, Maps for Minecraft PE, oltre 1 milione di download e 30 dollari a settimana;
- Skins for Roblox, oltre 1 milione di download e 30 dollari a settimana;
- Live Wallpapers HD & 3D Background, oltre 100.000 download e 90 dollari l’anno;
- MasterCraft for Minecraft, oltre 1 milione di download e 30 dollari a settimana;
- Master for Minecraft, oltre 1 milione di download e 30 dollari a settimana;
- Boys and Girls Skins, oltre 1 milione di download e 30 dollari a settimana;
- Maps Skins and Mods for Minecraft, oltre 100.000 download e 30 dollari a settimana.