It’s not that surprising to know that such Fake Google Play sites would emerge right after the official launch of the Google Play Store. As for those who forgot to tune in with the recent Android updates, the said app is the re-branded and revamped version of the Android Market. So if you are an Android user with a phone that runs on Android 2.2 Froyo or any of its latest firmware versions, it is very likely for you to see the Google Play Store. You can also visit the web version of the said app at play.google.com.
As we’ve said, there are a couple of websites that seems to mimic the look and style of the web version of the Google Play Store. According to Trend Micro, a well-known internet security company, these fake sites are filled with threatening mobile malware that you can easily get from downloading a particular third-party Android application. In other words, these fake Google Play sites are being used and abused by a lot of cybercriminals.
A good example of this is http://{BLOCKED}ay-google.ru. This URL shows a misleading domain that will eventually take you to a fake Google Play Russian site. Apparently, the site’s English translation provided a description that will really make you think that it’s a legit source of Android applications. Here’s what we’ve got according to Trend Micro’s translation: “Download Google Play for Android Google Play is formerly known as the android market but now a vast and influential old android market combined with a store of books google ebookstore multi-format films and world music google music.”
But when you try to click the clickable images of the website, you will be taken to another Russian site that offers a range of suspicious Android applications. Of course, we highly discourage you to download any of these apps as these could cause a great deal of damage to your tablet or phone. The internet security company further reports that upon downloading the Google Play APK (google-play.apk) from the aforementioned URL, you will be automatically pointed to a malicious file called ‘ANDROIDOS_SMSBOXER.AB’ which will also redirect you to another malicious URL that you can access at http://{BLOCKED}-api.ru.
It turned out that the malicious file called ‘ANDROIDOS_SMSBOXER.AB’ is a premium type of mobile malware that could infiltrate any Android device even without the needed permission. This type of malware is significantly harmful as it can alter the settings and customization that you have applied on your device.
Knowing that cybercriminals can easily create ways to inflict damage, it is very important that you stay away from downloading and installing any unsecured third-party applications that could potentially harm your tablet or phone. It would be best if you stick to the apps that you can get from the official Google Play Store as these apps have been screened and approved by Google. We also recommend you to download and install a particular Anti-Virus / Anti-Malware app on your smartphone. This will help protect your Android device from getting any malicious ware such as the ones that you can get from those fake sites that mimics the newly-launched Google Play Store.
As we’ve said, there are a couple of websites that seems to mimic the look and style of the web version of the Google Play Store. According to Trend Micro, a well-known internet security company, these fake sites are filled with threatening mobile malware that you can easily get from downloading a particular third-party Android application. In other words, these fake Google Play sites are being used and abused by a lot of cybercriminals.
A good example of this is http://{BLOCKED}ay-google.ru. This URL shows a misleading domain that will eventually take you to a fake Google Play Russian site. Apparently, the site’s English translation provided a description that will really make you think that it’s a legit source of Android applications. Here’s what we’ve got according to Trend Micro’s translation: “Download Google Play for Android Google Play is formerly known as the android market but now a vast and influential old android market combined with a store of books google ebookstore multi-format films and world music google music.”
But when you try to click the clickable images of the website, you will be taken to another Russian site that offers a range of suspicious Android applications. Of course, we highly discourage you to download any of these apps as these could cause a great deal of damage to your tablet or phone. The internet security company further reports that upon downloading the Google Play APK (google-play.apk) from the aforementioned URL, you will be automatically pointed to a malicious file called ‘ANDROIDOS_SMSBOXER.AB’ which will also redirect you to another malicious URL that you can access at http://{BLOCKED}-api.ru.
It turned out that the malicious file called ‘ANDROIDOS_SMSBOXER.AB’ is a premium type of mobile malware that could infiltrate any Android device even without the needed permission. This type of malware is significantly harmful as it can alter the settings and customization that you have applied on your device.
Knowing that cybercriminals can easily create ways to inflict damage, it is very important that you stay away from downloading and installing any unsecured third-party applications that could potentially harm your tablet or phone. It would be best if you stick to the apps that you can get from the official Google Play Store as these apps have been screened and approved by Google. We also recommend you to download and install a particular Anti-Virus / Anti-Malware app on your smartphone. This will help protect your Android device from getting any malicious ware such as the ones that you can get from those fake sites that mimics the newly-launched Google Play Store.
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