Bogus anti-virus apps in the official Windows Phone and Android app stores

  • 16 May 2014
  • 2 replies
  • 469 views

Userlevel 7
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Apparently, unlike most fake anti-virus products, the app doesn’t try to scare you into entering your credit card details after duping you into believing you are infected. This one simply does nothing. Although, of course, you only find that out after you’ve paid a few dollars purchasing it.
 
http://cdn.grahamcluley.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/bogus-windows-phone-apps.jpg
 
Amongst the fake apps are anti-virus products claiming to come from ESET, Symantec and Avira, as well as browsers from Mozilla, Opera, and Netscape.
 
Always be careful about what you download – even if it comes from an official app store.
In the past, online criminals have created fake reviews and boosted the apparent legitimacy of a bogus app in order to trick users into downloading it. Ideally, go to the vendor’s own website and follow a link from there to the app store if you want to be sure that you are downloading the genuine article.
 
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Userlevel 7
One thing to remember for Win Phone is that there is no AV for the platform. Simply doesn't exist and is not necessary either. Only phishing protection can be offered with Kaspersky safe browser type apps. But users tend to stay away from any security apps because it's not needed. Anything calling itself AV or security app is a scam. Be careful.:)
Userlevel 7
@ wrote:
One thing to remember for Win Phone is that there is no AV for the platform. Simply doesn't exist and is not necessary either. Only phishing protection can be offered with Kaspersky safe browser type apps. But users tend to stay away from any security apps because it's not needed. Anything calling itself AV or security app is a scam. Be careful.:)
Completely agree with you Amit...the way the Windows Phone kernel is locked down means that there is little if any need for an AV or IS app when running that OS...and the sooner that users were educated re. that the better.  You have to be a cretin (apologies for my hard line but if one uses technology then one needs to educate onesself about it) to fall for a scam like that.
 
Baldrick

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