Google Play Early Access Abused to Push Thousands of Deceptive Android Apps

Summary: Threat actors are abusing Google Play's Early Access program to distribute thousands of deceptive apps promising cash rewards, PayPal payouts, cryptocurrency earnings, gift cards, casino jackpots, and premium content, according to a Bitdefender report shared with The Hacker News. Because Early Access apps cannot receive public reviews or star ratings, users lose the trust signals that would normally flag them, and one identified app, a Grand Theft Auto imitator called "Vice Streets: Open World" (package com.gamblechaos.withfriends.game), passed 1 million downloads with no reviews or ratings before leaving the store.
Key Takeaway: The same review blackout that protects developers from review bombing let a single deceptive game reach more than 1 million downloads with zero ratings, and Bitdefender says the promised payouts never arrive while the apps serve ad after ad.

Read the original at The Hacker News ↗

Topics: Threat Actors & Nation-State
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