The apps that were determined to be fraudulent by McAfee were removed by Google so that no more users fall into their trap, Ars Technica said. The apps were listed as utility applications allowing users to scan QR codes, turn on the device’s flash as a torch, or convert various measurements, McAfee claimed. Here is the list of the 16 applications that have been removed- ALSO READ: Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus 5G up for grabs at a 41% discount via Flipkart McAfee reported that these fraudulent applications downloaded code once they were opened, which led to receiving notifications to open web pages without alerting the user, or clicking on links and advertisements. This would lead to an increase in engagement on these ads, which is basically ad fraud. They came with adware codes called “com.liveposting” and “com.click.cas”, libraries that allowed them to click on links and ads. This would take place without the user’s knowledge and cause additional battery drain and increased network usage. Google told Ars Technica that all the apps were removed from the Play Store and that Play Protect will block these apps on users’ devices. However, McAfee’s report that the apps would download additional code after the apps were installed, suggests that they managed to bypass Google’s protection on the Play Store.
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