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Rogue app posing as MSN app found in Android market


A new rogue app posing as a communication app from Microsoft has been found in Google’s Android Market, attempting to fool users of Android devices into installing it. Enthusiast site AndroidPolice.com urged users to flag the app “MSN 2012" as “inappropriate" to warn other potential victims who may be fooled into downloading it. “[T]his malware is cleverly disguised and to an unsuspecting user it may seem legitimate," it said, noting the app is designed such that users can miss the publisher’s name as “MicrosDft Corporation" instead of Microsoft Corp. Also, it noted the malware would request permission to directly dial phone numbers without user intervention. The site also noted the rogue app’s site in the listing is msM.com instead of www.msn.com. For now, AndroidPolice said more and more one-star user reviews were already out to warn potential victims. “What’s even more worrisome is 10,000+ downloads and the amount of 5-star ratings, all of them undoubtedly either fake or created by unsuspecting victims," it said. It reminded Android users to pay close attention to the details, do due diligence, and be suspicious – “otherwise you may end up giving away your personal information straight to rogue databases or find a few hundred dollars worth of premium calls on your next phone bill." AndroidPolics also suggested that users report apps on the web via a form buried somewhere deep inside Market support pages. —MRT/KBK, GMA News

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