Almost 1,000 fraudulent apps published on Google Play in August alone

Yes, there are downsides to Google’s policy of letting anyone publish their apps on Google Play. Symantec has found that scammers published almost 1,000 fraudulent apps on Google Play in August alone, most of which were deleted within hours of posting on the store.

But even though Google was quick to delete the fraudulent Android apps, Symantec estimates that they were still downloaded more than 10,000 times. Symantec also says that one group is responsible for 97 percent of the fraudulent apps, which typically “include numerous links to various online adult-related sites, but one or two links actually lead to fraudulent sites that attempt to con people into paying a fee without properly signing them up for the paid service.”