Google has banned 150 more dangerous apps from its app store called Google Play Store. These 150 SMS scam apps on the Play Store were part of a campaign called UltimaSMS.
In this, fake actors make users sign up for expensive premium SMS services so that users can earn money but in the end users have to face big losses. Avast says these apps have been downloaded more than 10.5 million times from the Google Play Store. Let us tell you which 150 SMS scam apps have been banned from Google Play Store.
The worrying thing about UltimaSMS scam campaign is that it is not limited to any country. Rather it is spread among the most affected countries across the world with Android users in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, USA and Poland.
How These SMS Scam Apps Work
As Avast explains, when a user downloads these apps from the Google Play Store, the app checks their location, IMEI number and phone number to determine if they are scams. For which country’s area code and language to use. Once the user opens the app, a screen in their device’s local language is set to prompt them to enter their phone number.
Upon entering the requested details, the user subscribes to premium SMS services that can charge upwards of $40 per month depending on the country and mobile company. Instead of unlocking the add service of apps, these apps stop working completely. The sole purpose of fake apps is to trick users into signing up for premium SMS subscriptions.
