Google Play Store stuffed with fake cryptomining apps

Cyber ​​security researchers have helped once again google from malicious applications from Official Play Store that falsely announced themselves as Cryptomining services.

The security firm Trend Micro marked eight of such Android applications, which requested users to pay for mining operations in the cloud that did not exist.

“After the analysis, we discover that these malicious applications unique trick victims to see advertisements, the payment of the subscription services that have a monthly average rate of $ 15, and the payment of greater mining capacities without receiving anything in return,” he wrote CIFER FANG, a Mobile Threat Analyst Trend Micro.

According to Fang, the eight flag applications were checked that they were infected, either with the Android_FakeMinerpay or the Android malware_fakeminerad.

Battle uphill

This is not the first time that researchers have found fraudulent applications on the Play Store that hope to take advantage of crappy crappy.

Only last month, the laboratory of the observation post threatens identified on this type of applications 170, more than two dozen of which are listed in the Play Store, and managed to deceive thousands of users to pay for non-existent cloud mining operations.

As before, Google acted quickly to eliminate the eight malicious applications highlighted by Trend Micro. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

“About Trend Micro Mobile App’s Database Reputation Service (MARS), more than 120 False Criptomoned Mining Applications are still available online. These applications, who do not have cryptomoned mining capabilities and users to deceive advertisements in the application, have affected more than 4,500 users around the world from July 2020 to July 2021, “reveals Fang.

Although some malicious applications are able to make their way on the Play Store, to protect against threats, users are recommended to download applications from official applications exclusively, and for the investigation of new online services to verify their legitimacy.