Smartphone users warned to delete these 17 dangerous apps

Tech

By Ben Cost

Here’s how to avoid an app-ocalypse.

Tech-sperts are warning smartphone users to delete 17 popular finance apps that have been found to be infected with malware. These digital Trojan horses have the potential to steal sensitive data from your phone, such as financial information.

Known as SpyLoan apps, these problematic apps have been prevalent in Google’s Play Store — and some have been discovered in Apple’s App Store as well, Forbes reported last month.

“Since the beginning of 2023, [our] researchers have observed an alarming growth of deceptive Android loan apps,” Lukas Stefanko, of the cybersecurity firm ESET, wrote in a post.

He explained that these insidious apps — which can also be found on scam websites and in third-party app stores — masquerade “as legitimate personal loan services, promising quick and easy access to funds.”

However, once downloaded, these digital wolves in sheep’s clothing install sophisticated malware that can “extract a wide range of personal information from unsuspecting users,” per ESET.

Oft-hijacked data includes everything from account details to contact lists and even SMS texts.

ESET has since alerted Google to 18 such apps in its Play Store — with all but one removed because it’s no longer deemed a SpyLoan app.

Overall, these apps generated more than 12 million downloads from Google Play before their removal, ESET noted.

The 17 apps are:

AA Kredit

Amor Cash

GuayabaCash

EasyCredit

Cashwow

CrediBus

FlashLoan

PréstamosCrédito

Préstamos De Crédito-YumiCash

Go Crédito

Instantáneo Préstamo

Cartera grande

Rápido Crédito

Finupp Lending

4S Cash

TrueNaira

EasyCash

Users who discover any of these apps on their phone should delete them immediately, before changing passwords for their device, financial accounts and Wi-Fi.

They should also be on the lookout for symptoms of a potential malware infection, including suspicious emails or alerts.

In the meantime, smartphone users should install antivirus software, keep up with phone updates, refrain from downloading apps from third-party sources and take other protective measures against the risk of contracting malware.