In July alone, we reported that over 100 malicious apps were removed from the Google Play Store.
Malware comes in many forms, with some letting hackers take control of your phone, while others steal personal information or sign you up for subscription services that are hard to get out of. Tap or click to remove 36 malicious apps from your phone now.
We are now in August, but it does not seem that things are going to improve. We have an updated list of 17 applications that contain banking Trojans. We will show you how these dangerous apps work and how to avoid them.
Here’s the backstory
Even with all its money and resources, Google cannot keep up with the sheer volume of malicious apps uploaded to its official Play Store. Fortunately, cybersecurity experts are always there to help Big Tech.
Trend Micro discovered 17 malicious apps that offer services such as call recording, VPN, software cleanup, scanners, photo editing, and more. They are actually giving way to programs designed to steal sensitive information such as login credentials, account numbers, and financial information.
RELATED: Check your phone! 8 Dangerous Malware Apps Detected
Check your phone for these malicious apps
Although the apps have been removed from the Google Play Store, that does not mean that they have been removed from your devices. Check your phone against the list below. If you find any matching apps, remove them immediately:
- Call Recorder APK — com.caduta.aisevsk
- Cock VPN — com.vpntool.androidweb
- Super Cleaner: hyper and smart — com.j2ca.callrecorder
- Document Scanner – PDF Creator — com.codeword.docscann
- Universal Savings Pro — com.virtualapps.universalsaver
- eagle photo editor — com.techmediapro.photo editing
- call recorder pro+ — com.chestudio.callrecorder
- additional cleaner — com.casualplay.leadbro
- cryptographic utilities — com.utilsmycrypto.mainer
- FixCleaner — com.cleaner.fixgate
- Universal Savings Pro — com.qaz.universalsaver
- lucky cleaner — com.luckyg.cleaner
- Right In: Motion Video — com.olivia.openpuremind
- Document Scanner Pro — com.myunique.sequencestore
- conquer the dark — com.flowmysequto.yamer
- simple cleaner — com.scando.qukscanner
- Unicc QR Scanner — com.qrdscannerratedx
Here’s how to remove any app from your Android phone:
- Open the google play store app
- In the top right, tap the profile icon.
- Play Manage apps and devices > Manage.
- Touch the name of the app you want to remove.
- Play uninstall.
Staggeringly dangerous apps
To escape detection, a Trojan horse disguises itself as a legitimate program. This has proven useful enough that the Google Play Store is inundated with them. Trojans can be distributed using applications known as droppers.
Trend Micro has identified a new dropper variant it calls DawDropper, which bypasses security controls to deliver the following malware to devices:
- Octo (Copper) is a banking Trojan capable of sending and receiving text messages, stealing banking information, and allowing attackers to remotely take control of your device.
- Hydra is a type of Trojan that asks you to enable permissions that will allow it to overwrite a legitimate banking app login page with a malicious one.
- ermac sends stolen financial login credentials to threat actors, who can use the information to steal money or commit fraud.
- tea bot uses applications to redirect users to click on a link, infecting their devices.
Keep your devices (and your finances) safe with these steps
The job isn’t done just because you’ve removed the offending apps. You must exercise vigilance and caution at all times. That is how:
- Activate Google Play Protect by going to google play store > Profile > Play Protect > Settings and turn on Scan apps with Play Protect.
- Check your phone for security updates by going to Settings > System > Upgrade system.
- Open a web browser on your phone and make a Google security check at myaccount.google.com/security-checkup. Follow the steps to give your device more robust security settings.
- Only download apps from official app stores. Always go to the official source and check that you are installing the correct application.
- Beware of apps that use a similar logo to other popular apps or have similar features. Also, check reviews to see if others are flagging suspicious activity.
- Pay attention to permissions. Stay away if an app wants full access to your text messages or notifications.
- Have reliable antivirus software on all your devices. We recommend our sponsor, TotalAV. Right now, get a TotalAV Internet Security annual plan for just $19 at ProtectWithKim.com. That’s over 85% off the regular price!
Keep reading
Malware is still a big problem for Android – here’s what to watch out for
App Warning! 52 dangerous downloads detected – Check your phone