Amidst genuine and official applications, the digital space is flooded with countless counterfeit ones that closely mimic the originals. Many unsuspecting users have lost everything after unknowingly downloading such apps onto their devices. These malicious applications are deliberately designed and distributed across multiple platforms to deceive users.
How can you detect these fake third-party apps or counterfeit applications?
First and foremost, you should carefully consider the app's developer name before downloading it. Often, when you search for an app, you get several results with the same name. It becomes essential in these situations to carefully review the app's name and description.
An app's authenticity can likely be determined by carefully examining its ratings, reviews, and download count before downloading it from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Determining the app's release date is also wise. Carefully review the screenshots before starting the download. Avoiding the app would be prudent if anything raised suspicions.
Furthermore, the permissions an app requests on your phone can be a telltale sign of a counterfeit application. If an app demands unnecessary access to your camera, audio, location, phone calls, or any other seemingly irrelevant permissions, it could potentially be fraudulent. Such permissions often serve as gateways for cyber fraud. You can safeguard your apps and device from malware threats by utilizing Google Play Protect. To activate this, navigate to the profile icon in the Play Store app, tap on Play Protect, and enable 'Scan apps with Play Protect' in the settings.
You can also ensure your device is 'Verify' certified. To do so, open the Google Play Store, click on the profile icon in the upper right corner, proceed to settings, and verify whether your device is Play Protect certified. Before downloading, thoroughly peruse the app's description. An abundance of spelling or grammatical errors could be indicative of a counterfeit app, as reputable developers are unlikely to make such egregious mistakes.
