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There are many fake programs on the internet that look like real ones. Most fake applications are copies of the original with identical interfaces and products. To avoid becoming a victim of fraud, you should be attentive and not download harmful programs.
How to Recognize Suspicious Apps
To recognize if an app is suspicious and threatening, you should:
- check the app creator, determine who is the author of the program;
- review the app's reviews and popularity, this can easily be done from an official source, suspicious programs tend to have few reviews or are not popular;
- determine the permissions requested by the app during installation, if the app requires unclear permissions - this may be a sign of fraud;
- do not install apps from unknown sources, it's better to use official programs.
Signs of a Malicious Mobile App
The most common fake apps are copies of well-known services that are popular among users. Cloning can occur in social networks. Malicious payment products or banking apps are also created. Gaming content and entertainment are also subject to fraudulent imitations.
Such programs contain malicious applications aimed at harming the device or stealing personal data. Sometimes fake apps can block the device or stored personal data, demanding payment to unlock the gadget. Installing such an app may download spyware, allowing fraudsters to monitor communications, banking activities, and study and transmit information from the phone.
App Security on Your Phone
To protect your gadget from malicious software, you need to:
- understand how apps behave on your phone;
- set strong passwords for apps and phone lock;
- turn off Bluetooth if not needed;
- update apps only from official sources.
It is essential to install software on your gadget that protects against viruses and spam, which helps filter unnecessary information-links that you might accidentally click on. Antivirus programs allow you to scan the device to detect dangerous apps that come from third-party sites. Upon detecting a malicious app, the antivirus program notifies the user and suggests removal. Alternatively, the antivirus program removes harmful apps and spam automatically.
Protection Against Malicious Apps
Having an antivirus program allows you to scan the gadget to identify malicious apps, but this does not relieve the user from conducting their own checks. When checking the phone, you might discover a new app, in which case you should immediately remove it from the device.
If there is suspicion of an attempt to hack personal data, it is better to completely remove the app and install it from the official site, change all passwords and access codes, especially if it involves banking.
To reduce the number of malicious apps on the network, it is essential to report to the company whose program was cloned, allowing them to control the number of malicious programs related to each company.
Fake Apps and How to Avoid Them
To ensure that you are installing a genuine app:
- carefully check the app search results (they should be searched on official verified sites);
- if two identical app icons are found in the program, one is a clone;
- carefully read the app's name and creators;
- number of downloads - app popularity and legitimacy, if it's found that the site was recently created and download numbers are inflated - it's clearly a fraudulent scheme.
- do not rush to download the app, verify and ensure its authenticity before proceeding with installation.
How to Check Apps for Security
A properly recorded download address for the app and the number of genuine reviews help check the app for security during the search process. To avoid becoming a victim of a viral app, carefully study the information about each app. If there are doubts about the app's authenticity, it's better not to use it.