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151 Dangerous Android Apps That You Must Uninstall Immediately

NATE GARTRELL
Dangerous Android Apps

Dangerous Android Apps

Google Play Store users should be sure they do not have any of the 151 scam apps installed (or have previously installed any of them).

In a recent report, BGR reported that cybersecurity company Avast had found a widespread premium SMS scam that operates on the official Play Store. In its investigation, Avast named it the UltimaSMS campaign (since its first scam app that was found was Ultima Keyboard 3D Pro), and found that it consisted of 151 fake apps that were downloaded over 10.5 million times by people in more than 80 territories

Many of the apps are disguised as legitimate apps, such as custom keyboards, cameras, cameras filters, high-quality downloaders, file managers, SMS bots, and QR code scanners. The goal of all of them is to sign customers up for premium SMS services.

The apps work the same: After installation, the device’s location is activated, IMEI and phone number are then used to determine the language and area code. Users are then asked to provide their phone numbers and sometimes their email addresses.

By using this information, premium SMS service subscriptions are automatically activated without the user’s knowledge. Users may not realize that charges are withdrawn for weeks or months, as they are often $40 or more per month.

When the ‘undercover UltimaSMS app achieves its goal, it either ceases to function or offers an additional subscription option rather than delivering what the app was supposed to do. It is inconvenient since even if users uninstall the application at this point, they will still be charged for premium SMS subscriptions.

This scam is made up of 151 apps, and Avast compiled a list of all 151 apps involved in the scam, and the list is listed below; Android users should keep an eye out for it.

For any of these apps you currently have installed (or have previously installed), make sure you delete them, and check your billing statement and inform your carrier if anything seems strange. In addition to this, you can request that your carrier disables premium SMS options on your account so that you won’t be subject to future scams of this nature.

Phone users have been targeted before and it will not be the last time with scam apps. There has also been a rise in malware attacks, with tens of millions of Android devices being infected with a malware called GriftHorse as discovered last month.

Read More: T-Mobile’s Promotes “$0 Down For All” Promo After Disastrous Data Breach

List of Scam App Uncovered

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