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Fake “Samsung UPDATES” App Deceives Millions!





Millions of Samsung users were massively misled by an “updates” app which actually has nothing to do with Samsung.  The app tried to harvest money in exchange for security updates.


The app was spotted by a group of researchers on the Google Play Store which was targeting Android users and the ones with Samsung phones in particular.

The app which has now been taken down would take the users to ad-filled pages and ask them for money in return for security updates and firmware.

Per the report shared by the malware analyst who discovered the application, the malware app was named “Updates for Samsung” and was installed by more than 10 million users.


The fake application lured the users in by claiming to make available free and paid Samsung updates whereas Samsung never actually charges for its legitimate firmware updates.

In addition the report cites that the app suggested the users a free download for a limited speed of 56KBps and took around 4 hours to get the 500MB download done with it, only to time-out at the end and fail.

Then of course the other option would be a premium annual subscription to download the updates with fast speed for around $34.99 (Rs. 2,400.76). Also, the app would pop a lot of ads and ask for payment to remove them.

In the list of all the “amazing provisions” of the aforementioned app, another was SIM card unlocking for nay network operator with the starting price of $19.99. (Rs. 1,371.73)

The name of the fake app which was maliciously designed to target the users of Samsung pretty well kept up to the expectations of the cyber-cons and got millions of installations.

The report additionally alluded to the fact that app doesn’t include any malicious code in itself and is simply a tactic which could be used by cyber-cons to fool people.

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Cyber Crime

Fake Samsung app

Fake updates app

Google Play Store

malware

money extortion