Recently Google banned 7 malicious apps that can steal data from your device and stripe you of your bank balance in the disguise of a premium service provider like signing up, adding payment information and validation authentication. Google banns such kind of apps when they make sure that the apps are dangerous and can steal data from the user’s devices.
Downloading and installing such kind of apps are not secure for users, as the apps are malicious and can steal your data. It can make you sign up to premium subscriptions without your knowledge and can steal your money. The apps are Trojanised joker malwares.
Tatyana Shishkova, a security analyst at Kaspersky, first of all, detected these Trojanised joker apps. Google security system is apt to detect dangerous apps. However, owing to growing complexity, they could not find this loophole that can endanger your device. Google has noticed the matter and removed the apps from Play Store for customer’s security and that is a good action.
Which Are the Apps that Google Banned and Removed from Play Store?
As far as Google has been informed of these trojanised joker apps, they banned and removed the apps. The apps are as follows:
- EmojiOne Keyboard ( with more than 50,000 downloads)
- Now QRCode Scan( over 10000 installs)
- Super Hero-Effect (over 5000 installs)
- Classic Emoji Keyboard ( over 5000 installs)
- Battery Charging Animations Battery Walpaper ( over 1000 installs)
- Volume Booster Louder Sound Equaliser (over 5000 installs)
- Dazzling Keyboard ( over 10 installs)
EmojiOne Keyboard has 50,000 plus downloads ans installs. Tatyana Shishkova detected this on 30th October, 2021. She included it in the Trojan Joker Android.
Remove the apps that I have listed above, from your mobile if you have installed.
How Do the Trojanised Joker Malwares Subscribe You of Unwanted Premium Services?
Since the past three yearns, namely, 2019, the Trojanised joker malwares affect user’s device in a way that is even gets unnoticed. To make you the victim of unwanted services, the app developers use and inject malware into the application that can interact with your device like messaging, contacting, notifications etc.
Once you install these apps on your device, you will be shown notifications. When you interact with notifications, the app takes permission to read message and wants to access contacts. When you give access to contact, it starts to work with phone call and manages it. It interacts with advertising websites and get you subscribed to premium services which may steal your money.
So, it interacts as follows:
- Shows notifications.
- Wants permission to read message.
- Once permission to read and access message is given, further it wants permission to access contacts.
- When you grant or allow access to contact lists, it tries to manage phone call in a way that goes unnoticed.
- When you allow access to message and contact list, it can work clandestinely and even interacts with advertising websites.
The app developers inject malwares in applications like wallpapers, scanners and messaging. Many users when download and install these apps on their devices and grant access to device’s applications, the injected malwares make them victims of unwanted premium services. Users should download and install app only from trusted sources.
From Where to Download Apps for Device Security?
In order to secure your device, download apps only from the trusted sources like Google Play Store, App Store, Samsung Store etc. Whenever you download an app from Play Store, their security system, namely, Play Protect scans it. If the app is secure, it starts downloading it.
Android device allows you to download apps from Unknown Source which you should never use. Applications from unknown sources may contain virus or malicious codes which may harm your device. So, to keep your device secure, you can download apps from the trusted sources.
Also, you can use anti-virus softwares to protect your devices. You can find both the free and premium anti-virus software which you can download and install. Choosing the premium ones is best for stronger security and scanning.
You can install Avast, Kaspersky, McAfee etc.
