Six fake Android apps you should know about or you risk losing thousands from your bank account

MILLIONS of Android owners have been urged to beware of six problematic apps that may contain banking-targeted malware.

Malware could be hiding on your phone where you least expect it.

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In the first half of 2022, trade association UK Finance found over 5000 mobile devices infected with malware.

This resulted in £15.7million being lost from the pockets of Britons to cybercrime.

This equates to around £3,000 for the average malware-affected customer.

Malware is software designed to gain unauthorized access to data such as personal or banking information.

NatWest experts have warned that malware can often hide in fake apps like QR scanners, flashlights, or even antivirus applications.

NatWest has even offered its customers free cybersecurity software, Malwarebytes Premium, which can be downloaded by clicking the Security tab in online banking.

Customers will then receive a coupon and a link to the Malwarebytes page.

“We are committed to keeping our customers safe and secure and continually invest in new fraud prevention tools and the latest security technology,” said Stuart Skinner, head of fraud protection at the bank.

“I urge you to download Malwarebytes today to ensure you are doing everything you can to protect yourself from this crime.”

Android users have also been told to delete a trio of activity-tracking apps dubbed “advertising junkies.”

This means they are chock-full of ads to monetize developers without paying off users.

The three “problem” apps are Lucky Step, WalkingJoy, and Lucky Habit.

They are all accessible through the Google Play Store and together have more than 20 million downloads.

According to experts from the software company Dr.Web, all three connect to the same Command & Control server.

These types of servers are typically used by cyber attackers to send instructions to malware-infected systems.

Cyber ​​experts from Dr.Web advised Android users not to compromise their phones or virtual wallets by downloading these apps.

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