Experts recommend downloading Android apps only from Google Play to avoid malware infection . But, that doesn't mean we can trust all those apps hosted on Google.
Panda Security security researchers have identified more than five malicious apps hosted on Google Play.
The apps in question appear to be aimed at users in Spain. The names of the apps in Spanish are: “Peinados Fáciles” (Easy Hairstyles), “Dietas para el reducir Colía” (Abs diets), “Rutinas Ejercicios para el Gym” (Workout Routines) and “Cupcakes Recetas” (Cupcake Recipes).
The apps extract the infected device's phone number from WhatsApp and use it to register the victim with SMS subscription services.
Researchers say that each of these apps has been downloaded by between 50,000 and 100,000 users. This means that between 300,000 and 1.2 million users may have been affected by the malware.
PandaLabs Technical Director Luis Corrons said: "The truth is that fraudsters earn crazy amounts of money from these premium services. A conservative estimate, say, if €20 is paid by each user, it would result in a whopping €6 to €24 million stolen from victims.".
