If you are not scared of malware (malicious software) then you know nothing, you should be because there are tons of them on the Google Play store waiting to get into a user’s device.
Android fans have been on high alert since they discovered that about 150 apps on the Google Play Store were discovered to be loaded with malware (October & November 2017).
What Is Malware?
Malware is a piece of software technology that is written with the sole intent of causing harm to data, devices or to people. It is also referred to as viruses, trojans, spyware etc do just more than destroy your device.
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Some of these malware are capable of stealing your security info (account number, date of birth, email account and password etc), can access your phone, hack into any device you connect to your phone and other unethical activities used by criminal organizations.
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Malware That Can Be Downloaded On Google Playstore
There are the top 5 types of malware available on the Google Play Store.
1. SpyDealer
This is the worst and a monitoring spirit if I might add. SpyDealer is a malware that can steal data from over 40 apps in your device including Skype, Facebook, WhatsApp and the Firefox browser. It can spy on the users call histories, contacts, Wi-Fi information and locations, answer and record phone calls, audio clips and video footage.
It can also take screenshots or photos using the device camera. You’ve got yourself a stalker in your device once this is installed. There are 3 common version of SpyDealer currently active, with the oldest one dating back to October 2015.
2. Expensive Wall
Over 50 apps in the Google Play Store were infected with ExpensiveWall. Expensive Wall is a form of malware can send fake text messages and charged users without permission. The malware was downloaded between 1-4 million times before it was removed. Some of the infected apps have been in Google Play Store since 2015.
3. GhostCtrl
Just like Spyware, GhostCtrl is also a form of malware that can secretly film and record user activity hiding behind popular names like WhatsApp, Game of Thrones, Naruto etc. GhostCtrl can also root a device, control its vibrate function, make phone calls, record video/audio, delete browser history, open apps without permission, delete & rename files, download photos, use the text-to-speech, send text messages to specific phone numbers, delete text messages, and spy on a user’s call history, contacts & phone numbers, check location, battery status, Bluetooth data etc.
4. Marcher
This one is not just used by common criminals but also fraudsters. Marcher poses as an Adobe Flash Player update and can obtain your login credentials from at least 40 different social media and banking apps using fake login pages for popular apps like TD Bank, Google, Yahoo, Paypal, Walmart, Amazon, Western Union, Facebook etc.
5. Xavier
Over 800 Android apps in the Google Play Store were infected with malware in June 2017. It collects and leak user data, run malicious code and install APKs without detection. The only way stay protected and remove an infection is by using anti-malware software (Antivirus). Even free ones like AVG AntiVirus have all you need to stay safe from the most these threats.
Note that the best malware removal tools are also included in most advanced antivirus softwares and applications.
