Android users should delete these nine ‘dangerous’ apps now, experts warn

From Huawei to Samsung, Android smartphones are some of the most popular handheld devices around the world.

But if you have an Android smartphone, you may want to reevaluate which apps you have on your device.

A new report by Trend Micro has warned users about nine dangerous apps that can infect your smartphone with malware.

Trend Micro explained: “We recently discovered several malicious optimizer, booster, and utility apps on Google Play that are capable of accessing remote ad configuration servers that can be used for malicious purposes, perform mobile ad fraud, and download as many as 3,000 malware variants or malicious payloads on affected devices.”

Worryingly, the researchers discovered that the dangerous apps – which claim to boost device performance – have been downloaded over 470,000 times.

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Trend Micro added: “Based on our analysis, the 3,000 malware variants or malicious payloads that can be possibly downloaded to an affected device with this campaign pretend to be system applications that do not show app icons on the device launcher or application list.

“The cybercriminals behind this campaign can use the affected device to post fake positive reviews in favour of the malicious apps, as well as perform multiple ad fraud techniques by clicking on the ads that pop up.”

Thankfully, Google has now removed all nine apps from the Google Play Store.

However, based on the findings, Trend Micro is urging users to be diligent about which apps they download to their smartphones.

It added: “Fraudsters attempt to deceive users by making malicious apps look genuine, so users should do their due diligence before downloading any mobile app.”

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The nine dangerous apps

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