Google started to clean marketplace of the risky listings

Mar 5, 2015 15:10 GMT  ·  By

Promises of pirated Android games and “guides” to crack legitimate mobile software are delivered through books available in Google Play that cost up to a few dollars.

It appears that cybercriminals have found a way to take advantage of the popularity of the official Android content repository and bypass the security measures enforced by Google’s automated systems.

Cheap game guides are more expensive than thought

Several publishers in Google’s marketplace sell fake books of just a few pages that contain instructions for those looking for a bargain to reach dangerous websites hosting all sorts of scams.

The titles of the malicious entries include names of popular games and the searches for the legitimate counterpart also retrieve the malicious entries, which ensure visibility to a larger number of victims.

A report from Android Police says a fake guide of Limbo contained links to a website called Androider that was supposed to host the illegal content.

In the case of the Limbo guide, the crooks advertise Androider as being a source of “full android apk games” that offers free access to paid content.

The double dipping scheme

Landing on the dangerous page would expose the user to phishing scams, malicious software for both Android and Windows, and advertisements, all designed to put money in the crooks’ pockets.

The scheme should be quite profitable for the scammers, as they get paid through multiple avenues. First off, there is the item in Google Play, which sends the buyer to the risky pages, where they can fall victim to other nefarious operations.

Google has taken steps to remove the entries that posed a risk to its users, but despite the search giant’s efforts, there may still be other entries of dubious nature available. This is why users can report suspicious content to the administrator, who can then initiate a more thorough analysis and determine its nature.

Fake game guides (3 Images)

Content in fake Limbo guide
Google Play entry for fake Limbo guideCrooks promise cheats in their guides
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