Malware Alert: Delete these 35 Android apps

Recently we talked about many security threats from deleting apps that lie about freeing up space on your phone to malware that can hack and drain your wallet. 

Bitdefender reported a whole new list of 35 Android apps to remove from your phone if you had already downloaded them.  Have you been seeing an increase in ads on your Android phone lately?  You may have installed one of these apps.

Apparently, these apps range from dangerous to nuisance using imagery and icons that look similar to familiar apps. Once installed though, the trouble gets harder to spot when the app gets sneaky by automatically changing its name.

Many of these icons for the app will now become hidden on your phone.  Some others get cleverly deceptive making it seem like the dangerous app is related to your Settings, when it’s not.

If your phone isn’t already protected with some sort of antivirus, the dangerous part of seeing these ads is that the developers of these apps can send through malware.

Delete these 35 apps:

• Animated Sticker Master
• Art Filter – Deep Photoeffect
• Art Girls Wallpaper HD
• Big Emoji – Keyboard
• Cat Simulator
• Colorize Old Photo
• Colorize Photos
• Create Sticker for Whatsapp
• EffectMania – Photo Editor
• Engine Wallpapers – Live & 3D
• Fast Emoji Keyboard
• Girls Art Wallpaper
• GPS Location Finder
• GPS Location Maps
• Grad Wallpapers – 3D Backdrops
• Image Warp Camera
• Keyboard – Fun Emoji, Sticker
• Led Theme – Colorful Keyboard
• Math Solver – Camera Helper
• Media Volume Slider
• My GPS Location
• Personality Charging Show
• Phi 4K Wallpaper – Anime HD
• Photopix Effects – Art Filter
• QR Creator
• Secret Astrology
• Secret Horoscope
• Sleep Sounds
• Smart GPS Location
• Smart QR Creator
• Smart QR Scanner
• Smart Wifi
• Stock Wallpapers – 4K & HD
• Volume Control
• Walls light – Wallpapers Pack

How to protect yourself

1. Always keep your iOS or Android software up to date
2. Keep your browsers up to date
3. If you have one of these apps installed, uninstall them immediately and then remove any malware that may be on your phone using an antivirus app.  My top pick is TotalAV (Limited time deal: $19 your first year (80% off).  More: Best Antivirus Protection in 2022 found here.
4. When considering downloading an app, always check:
   • the number of ratings
   • how many people rated the app
   • the number and quality of the comments
   • whether the source of the app comes from a legitimate company with a legitimate webpage
5. Install good security protection on all of your devices for the best protection.  My top pick is TotalAV (Limited time deal: $19 your first year (80% off).  More: Best Antivirus Protection in 2022 found here.

 

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• Hackers are hijacking bank accounts through this phone attack