Agencies
Google has removed 18 SpyLoan apps from the Google Play store which has received millions of downloads.
According to a report in ESET, as many as 18 apps identified as ‘SpyLoan’ were spotted on the Google Play Store over the course of this year. These lending apps are designed to spy on users by collecting vast amounts of information from their devices. This information is later used to blackmail borrowers and extort them into repaying the sum with high interest amounts.
ESET researchers have shared the details of the apps used by loan sharks to dupe users. The apps are said to target users living in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.
The security company said that out of the 18 apps it previously disclosed to Google, the search giant removed 17 apps.
The last app is still available on the app store as a new version of the app was published to the Play Store and it does not offer the same functionality or feature the same permissions. Android users need to note that while Google has removed these apps, they also need to delete them from their phones manually. So, over to the 17 Android apps that need to be deleted right away from phones.
