Fake Whatsapp On Google Play Shop Downloaded Yesteryear Over 1 I Chiliad M Android Users

Cybercriminals are known to guide keep wages of everything that's pop with people inward club to spread malware, in addition to Google's official Play Store has ever proved no less than an first-class house for hackers to become their project done.

Yesterday about users spotted a mistaken version of the around pop WhatsApp messaging app for Android on the official Google Play Store that has already tricked to a greater extent than than i meg users into downloading it.

Dubbed Update WhatsApp Messenger, came from an app developer who pretended to live on the actual WhatsApp service with the developer championship "WhatsApp Inc."—the same championship the actual WhatsApp messenger uses on Google Play.

You mightiness live on wondering how the sneaky app developer was able to purpose the same championship every bit the legitimate Facebook-owned maker of the messaging client—thanks to a Unicode grapheme space.

The app maker added a Unicode grapheme infinite subsequently the actual WhatsApp Inc. name, which inward reckoner code reads WhatsApp+Inc%C2%A0.

However, this hidden grapheme infinite at the halt of the WhatsApp Inc. would live on easily invisible to an average Android user browsing Google Play Store, allowing this dodgy version of the app to masquerade every bit a production of WhatsApp Inc.

In other words, the titles used past times the mistaken app maker in addition to existent WhatsApp service are dissimilar simply appeared same to a user.

According to Redditors, who outset spotted this mistaken app on Friday, the app was non a chat app; instead, it served Android users with advertisements to download other apps.

"I've too installed the app in addition to decompiled it," i Redditor said. "The app itself has minimal permissions (internet access) simply it's basically an ad-loaded wrapper which has about code to download a minute apk, too called 'whatsapp.apk.' The app too tries to cover past times non having a championship in addition to having a blank icon."

Google has straightaway removed the mistaken WhatsApp Android app from its official Play Store, simply this incident i time once to a greater extent than marked the tech giant's failure to topographic point the scam on its app platform—even for the programme that had to a greater extent than than a meg downloads.

It is an unfortunate truth that fifty-fifty subsequently in addition to thus many efforts past times Google (even latterly launched Bug Bounty Program), malicious apps continuously somehow managed to fool its Play Store's safety machinery in addition to infect millions of Android users.

Google Play Store is even in addition to thus surrounded past times hundreds of other mistaken in addition to malicious apps that describe a fast i on users into downloading in addition to installing them in addition to potentially infect their smartphones to comport out malicious things without their knowledge.

So, users are advised to live on to a greater extent than vigilant acre downloading apps non entirely from the third-party app shop simply too from official Play Store inward club to protect themselves.

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