How to spot fraudulent applications in your app or Play Store
Every year billions of phone applications are downloaded. From banking apps to games to language learning and everything in between. But among the countless legitimate apps on the market, there are a few fraudulent ones.
More commonly referred to as malware, fraud apps seek to embed themselves in your phone and access your private information. Account numbers, personal info and more are at risk.
That’s why we’ve compiled expert advice on how to spot fraud apps.
Here’s what you need to know.
Reviews
Checking reviews is the first step you can take to spot a fraud app. Legitimate apps that have been on the market for a while have hundreds if not thousands of reviews. Read through them for any mention of security breaches. And take note that some companies will pay people to leave positive reviews. That’s why it’s a good idea to scroll through a dozen or so reviews before making a decision.
Update date
Updates are an essential part in making software secure. An app that hasn’t been updated in a long time is a red flag.
Publishers
Software publishers almost always leave a digital footprint. If you consider downloading from a company you’ve never heard of then it might be a good idea to research them first to find out if their software is known to be fraudulent or otherwise misleading.
Don’t use third-party downloads
When it comes to phone apps, experts recommend downloading only from your phone’s default app store. Both the App Store and Play Store are being constantly monitored by their parent companies for fraud apps. Sure, sometimes a few slip through, but you increase the chances of fraud by downloading from a third party or unapproved app store.
Look for obvious errors
Typos, misinformation and otherwise sloppy presentation can be a sign that an app is malware. Apps cost thousands of dollars and time to create. A legitimate company is less likely to go through the trouble of producing an app only to market it with typos and other obvious errors.
Kernel access
Think of a kernel like a door into your device and once someone has access to that door they can go anywhere on your phone and do anything. Kernel access isn’t always obviously stated but if you see the term pop up in reviews or software descriptions then reconsider downloading it.
Beyond kernel access, make sure to check out the permissions the software will require and compare them to the core function of the app. For example, why would a calculator app need access to your camera? Or why would diet-tracking app need access to your location? The software description lists the required permissions. Take a peek before downloading.
