Security experts have
discovered a disturbing new
type of malware attack that
plays porn videos on your
Android phone or tablet
without you knowing.
Hackers have plastered the
Google Play store with fake
versions of popular apps, each
containing a Trojan that opens
porn websites. These appear
in the background, as you use
your device for other
purposes.
The criminals behind the
attack make money by
tricking the victim into
clicking adverts for porn sites
The fake apps were identified
by researchers at antivirus
company ESET, who named
the attack ‘Porn Clicker’ and
said that it is “one of the largest
malware campaigns” ever seen
on the Google Play store.
In total, ESET found 343
Porn Clicker apps in the store,
most of which were fake
versions of popular games,
including Subway Surfers and
Grand Theft Auto. Once
installed the apps disappear
from your device, making
them difficult to remove
They can also detect
whether you have an antivirus
running on your device, and
take action to dodge it.
The icons for these games
on the store (see image above)
look very similar to the
genuine apps. ESET said this
had fooled thousands of users,
and led to “many” phones and
tablets being infected.
ESET’s malware researcher
Lukáš Štefanko had a warning
for Android users who think
they’re safe because they don’t
play games. He said that the
attack is “clearly part of a
well-organised campaign” and
he expects the criminals
behind it to “find new ways to
bypass Google’s security tests
and to trick consumers”
Štefanko urged Android
users to always read the
reviews of apps before
installing them. He said that
many of the fake apps had
received bad reviews and “a
lot of negative comments from
users who had already been
scammed”.
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