Careful about that camera beauty and filter app installed on your phone as it could contain malware. A cybersecurity firm named Trend Micro has uncovered a staggering 29 “beauty camera” and camera filter apps in the Google Play Store loaded with malware inside. The apps in question are more popular in Asia and are supposed to enhance selfies and customize photos. Well, turns out that is just a decoy instead, apps with the names of Beauty Camera, Pro Beauty Camera and Horizontal Beauty camera served full-screen ads when users unlocked their phones. In one of the discovered cases, the app downloaded an online porn player that didn’t work even after payment from the user was accepted.
The discovery also unearthed several underground and dubious practices by the developers of these apps. Some of the apps even attempt to utilise phishing techniques in order to get personal information from users. One way this occurred was through a rigged contest that always let the device owner win. To claim the prize, the “winner” will have to provide certain personal information. Other camera filter apps would allow someone to upload a picture to the developer’s server to enhance. But instead of getting a final post-enhancement image, the user would receive a fake update prompt in nine languages. The app collected the photos uploaded, possibly to use on fake social media accounts.
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Such apps are usually designed to make it difficult to delete. The icons were hidden making it practically impossible to remove them with a simple drag to uninstall. Thankfully, Google has taken action by removing such apps. Nevertheless, it is apt that users exercise caution when downloading an app from the Store. To avoid falling victim to such fraud, Trend Micro suggests that before you install any app, check the comments from other users. If you see a few warnings, avoid downloading the app.
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