Not all apps in your smartphone’s official store are safe. Some are infected with malware. Online fraud is skyrocketing thanks to phony apps.
Almost every week an announcement is made about more malicious apps being discovered in the app stores. Most are immediately removed from the store but many others that have not yet been discovered are still there.
Some of the fake apps can be really destructive. Earlier this year, cybersecurity experts spotted a fake VPN app that scammed users out of $1 million in a single month!
Follow these steps to avoid downloading fake apps on your iPhone and Android:
• Head to your bank’s official website to download the banking app: There are too many fake banking apps designed to look just like the real deal. Look up any bank in your app store and you may see copycats. They’re hard to spot, so take this extra step.
• Don’t use third-party app stores: They don’t have the same protections as official app stores.
• Read the reviews first: Once it’s been discovered, other users will let you know if an app is malicious.
• Install a comprehensive mobile protection app: As cyber threats are steadily rising, a standard virus-scanning app is no longer enough. You need a protection app that can also prevent malicious installations in advance (like RedFox Mobile Security & Antivirus)
• Never click links or open attachments in unsolicited emails and texts: This is a recipe for malware.
