ESET spotted Malicious fake Pokémon Go apps on Google Play Store
Malicious Pokémon Go apps have even made their ways into the official Google Play Store.
Researchers from popular antivirus firm ESET have spotted at least three fake Pokémon Go apps on the Google Play Store. Of them, the one titled "Pokemon Go Ultimate" posed the biggest threat to Android users.
Pokemon Go Ultimate renames itself "PI Network" and deliberately locks the screen of the victims’ devices immediately after being installed, rending the devices unusable.
The only ways to get the infected phone unlocked are to remove the device's battery or reboot the device via the Android Device Manager.
Even after restarting the device, the app removes itself from the device's app menu, but still continues to run in the background and silently clicks on porn advertisements in an attempt to generate ad revenue for its creators.
The worse: Researchers say that the malicious app is just one step away from being Ransomware.
Although Google has removed the fake Pokémon GO app, users who had already downloaded the app would need to uninstall PI Network manually through their device's application manager.
The rest of the two fraudulent Pokémon apps produced fake security messages in an attempt to trick users into paying for an antivirus service that actually does not exist.
Currently, all three apps seem to be removed from Google Play, but be on guard: more are likely to show up in the coming days.
So, before head out to catch 'em all, BEWARE!! just make sure you are downloading the legitimate Pokémon Go app.
Remember to be alert at all times. Stay aware of your surroundings..
Check Here ESET's full advisory and security recommendations.
Researchers from popular antivirus firm ESET have spotted at least three fake Pokémon Go apps on the Google Play Store. Of them, the one titled "Pokemon Go Ultimate" posed the biggest threat to Android users.
Pokemon Go Ultimate renames itself "PI Network" and deliberately locks the screen of the victims’ devices immediately after being installed, rending the devices unusable.
The only ways to get the infected phone unlocked are to remove the device's battery or reboot the device via the Android Device Manager.
Even after restarting the device, the app removes itself from the device's app menu, but still continues to run in the background and silently clicks on porn advertisements in an attempt to generate ad revenue for its creators.
The worse: Researchers say that the malicious app is just one step away from being Ransomware.
Although Google has removed the fake Pokémon GO app, users who had already downloaded the app would need to uninstall PI Network manually through their device's application manager.
The rest of the two fraudulent Pokémon apps produced fake security messages in an attempt to trick users into paying for an antivirus service that actually does not exist.
Currently, all three apps seem to be removed from Google Play, but be on guard: more are likely to show up in the coming days.
So, before head out to catch 'em all, BEWARE!! just make sure you are downloading the legitimate Pokémon Go app.
Remember to be alert at all times. Stay aware of your surroundings..
Check Here ESET's full advisory and security recommendations.
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