Amanda was at the airport, waiting for her flight to board when she decided to download a game to play. Heading to the app store, she scrolled through her options.
As she looked at the different Solitaire apps, she decided on one randomly. It had five stars and looked like the typical game. Once downloaded, she was disappointed to see that it had many glitches and would not close properly.
Upon closer inspection, she realized many images on the app and on the description page in the app store were blurry and not the same as a normal game. She dismissed the app as a bad knock-off version and downloaded a new one.
Amanda did not use the old app again but soon after, her phone started having performance issues. What she didn’t realize was that when she downloaded the app, her phone was infected with malware: her personal information, and account data, now exposed.
Did you spot the red flags?
- Just because an app has five stars doesn’t mean it is legitimate. Look at the number of ratings, as well. Popular apps typically have thousands of ratings.
- Amanda picked an app at random without any investigation. Look for apps that give a thorough explanation of what they do and include privacy practices.
- Amanda did not delete the app or warn others after having issues with it.
What you should know about this scam
Look out for apps that are difficult to close or that contain ads to suspicious sites. Research and read app reviews before downloading.
Cybercriminals make apps that look nearly identical to real apps. Look closely at visuals and logos on the app description page.
Cybercriminals create fake apps that mimic real apps and post them in the app store. If downloaded, these apps can deliver malware.
Use two-factor authentication and strong passwords for app stores and apps.