Kathy Sundstrom tech advice: Horoskope, Car News and Currency XE Converter install malware that could harm you

Not all Google and Apple apps are safe. Some could even control your phone, calls and bank details, writes Kathy Sundstrom.

Kathy Sundstrom is a former Sunshine Coast Daily journalist who now works at identity and cyber support service IDCARE. Picture: Patrick Woods.

There was a consistent theme coming through in calls to IDCARE's National Case Management Centre this week.

It was from people who downloaded an app, called Hope Business, and then discovered they had been scammed.

Nerida, not her real name, heard about the app through her sister who told her she could use it to invest money and earn commission.

It seemed "legit", so she invested a little to see if it was real, and then money came through to her "account".

She invested a little more and then she told her friends about it as the app offered financial rewards for referrers.

The app explained it would take 12 days to reach "the target" and then money would be paid out.

But after 12 days, the app mysteriously disappeared off both Apple's app store and Google's Play store and Nerida realised it was a scam.

"I know for a fact there are hundreds, if not thousands of people in Australia affected by this scam who lost a lot of money" she told us.

The Commonwealth Bank posted a scam alert on this app on June 1.

Unfortunately, this was too late for the person who told the bank a friend had lost $75,000 on the app.

Facebook community groups have been created, such as the Hope Business Community page, where people share their stories.

"This should never happen in Australia", one person wrote.

There is a perception that, for an app to make it on to Apple or Google, it has been screened and vetted.

 

We wrote to Google and Apple to gain an understanding of this screening process.

Google wrote back and explained it did "spot checks" in the Play store, but relied on app developers to comply with terms and conditions before uploading their app into the Play Store.

Basically, if you download an app, you have to do your own research. And sometimes more than the money you invest can be at stake.

Some apps contain dangerous malware, like the Mandrake malware, which could take complete control of an Android device and steal your information, break into bank accounts and even forward your phone calls and emails to the attackers.

This malware lurked in the form of innocent-looking apps that performed a service such as Horoskope, Car News and Currency XE Converter. It was estimated there were tens of thousands of victims from this scam.

Both Google and Apple are continuously improving their security to protect people from dangerous apps such as these.

But we always need to be vigilant and careful about what we download and checking reviews is a good place to start.

It's also a good idea to check the details about the app developer and gain a sense of who they are and the previous work they've done.

It's what we do for our app reviews at IDCARE.

Kathy Sundstrom is a former Sunshine Coast Daily journalist who now works at identity and cyber support service IDCARE.

Originally published as Kathy Sundstrom tech advice: Horoskope, Car News and Currency XE Converter install malware that could harm you