Fake version of WhatsApp found on Google Play Store
06 Nov 2017
A fake and possibly malicious version of Facebook-owned WhatsApp was found on Google Play Store as "Update WhatsApp Messenger" with developer name 'WhatsApp Inc*'.
According to IANS which claims to have checked it, the app has been downloaded up to 5,000 times. Also another version under the same name has over a million downloads. The original WhatsApp has a billion downloads.
IB Times reported on Thursday that the existence of the dubious software was first highlighted by the popular WhatsApp change tracking website WABetaInfo, via Twitter user @MujtabaMHaq.
The report added that a version of the popular mobile game Temple Run 2 can also be found which was uploaded in October.
Meanwhile, several users have complained in comments section, about the software which poses as WhatsApp Business.
WABetaInfo social media account tweeted against downloading WhatsApp Business, saying it is not officially available yet for all."
It added, "Check only official channels to download WhatsApp Business in future."
WhatsApp Business has not yet launched as a standalone service.
While Google has suspended the developer for violating its policies, the good news for those who did install the app, is that the only thing it did was push ads for other apps.
The developer used a unicode "white space," to make it appear as though WhatsApp Inc was the developer, copying the developer title used on the real WhatsApp app.
Google bars apps that impersonate a title or logo. According to commentators, the use of Unicode white space tricked Google's computerised security into thinking that the developer name was different than the one listed on the legitimate WhatsApp app.
While the fake app was intended to create revenue for the developer by posting ads, the same tactic could have been used for stealing personal data from the over one million people who signed up for the app, according to commentators.
