{"id":434739,"date":"2017-11-06T14:07:49","date_gmt":"2017-11-06T14:07:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ghana-mma.com\/2017\/11\/06\/fake-whatsapp-app-downloaded-more-than-one-million-times\/"},"modified":"2017-11-06T14:07:49","modified_gmt":"2017-11-06T14:07:49","slug":"fake-whatsapp-app-downloaded-more-than-one-million-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2017\/11\/06\/fake-whatsapp-app-downloaded-more-than-one-million-times\/","title":{"rendered":"Fake WhatsApp app downloaded more than one million times"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A fake version of the WhatsApp messenger app was downloaded more than a million times from the Google Play Store before it was removed.<\/p>\n

The app, \u201cUpdate WhatsApp Messenger\u201d, appeared to have been developed by the firm behind the real program \u2013 WhatsApp Inc.<\/p>\n

According to users on web forum Reddit, the fake contained ads and could download software to users\u2019 devices.<\/p>\n

It has now been removed from the Play Store.<\/p>\n

Whoever was behind the app managed to make it look as though its developer was \u201cWhatsApp Inc\u201d.<\/p>\n

They did this by using that exact name, though replacing the space with a special character that looks like a space.<\/p>\n

The subtle difference would have been practically undetectable to the average user.<\/p>\n

Users receiving automatic updates via the real WhatsApp would not have been affected.<\/p>\n

It is far from the first time that Google has had to clean up fake malicious apps on the Play Store.<\/p>\n

In 2015, the firm had to step in and block one program that disguised itself as a battery monitor and sent premium-rate text messages from people\u2019s phones.<\/p>\n

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Source: BBC<\/strong><\/p>\n

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