Android security: These 21 malicious apps should be removed from your smartphone immediately

There are several reports about Android vulnerability and there is no doubt that security researchers almost every week releasing threat reports to make the Android users aware of malicious apps.

Every year a huge number of Android phones are being sold all around the world but while installing apps in a new smartphone, all that a user should keep in mind is which apps they should download. There are some apps, detected by researchers from Sophos which can fleece a user out of thousands of pounds. These dangerous apps have been downloaded nearly almost 600 million times, said the experts.

The malicious apps in Android phones

These apps can charge the users of the Android smartphone on a weekly or monthly basis through a subscription payment instead of waiting for an annual payment. Some of these malicious apps prompted users to pay for a monthly subscription rate on one screen while showcasing a different weekly rate on another screen.

Sophos researcher Jagadeesh Chandraiah in a blog explained the malicious activity. As per the expert, the payment may look smaller so the victims might be less likely to experience sticker shock, but it actually exacerbates the overcharging. In addition, he said that "In one case, we found an app displaying subscription fees of €8.99 per week, or €23.99 per month, which works out annually to €467.48 (if you pay the weekly amount for 52 weeks) or €287.88 (if you pay the monthly amount for 12 months)."

Play Store Apps which should be avoided

Based on the recent findings Sophos researchers are now asking the Android users to avoid apps which includes short free trials. As per Chandraiah, if any user had installed an app that asks the person to sign up for a free trial, the user should read everything on the trial prompt to make sure the app won't be charging lots of money. And if anyone happened to have activated the trial period, then they should know that uninstalling the app won't cancel the trial package.

"Some publishers require you to send a specific email or follow other complicated instructions to end the free trial before you are charged, though you might just need to log into your Google Pay to cancel. Keep copies of all correspondence with the publisher, and be prepared to share that with Google if you end up disputing the charges," said Chandraiah.