Urgent warning for Android owners as Google bans four ‘criminal’ apps – delete them now

ANDROID owners are reminded to check if they’ve recently downloaded Bluetooth apps after a bunch was found hosting viruses.

It is feared that more than a million people have already installed the apps, which masquerade as useful tools but actually hide malware.

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Four apps have been exposed by Malwarebytes experts for using a Trojan called HiddenAds.

They are called Bluetooth Auto Connect, Bluetooth App Sender, Driver: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB and Mobile Transfer: Smart Switch.

If you have any of these on your device, you should delete them immediately.

Cyber ​​criminals behind the campaign use a clever delay trick to pull off the scam.

That means you won’t notice anything out of the ordinary at first, giving you no reason to suspect the apps are shady and take action.

But within a few days, the Trojan starts its malicious work and opens phishing sites in Chrome.

Some of the websites it opens are nothing more than a nuisance that generates money through ads.

But others are more worrisome, like one that contains adult content that will lead to more phishing sites and tell the person they have been infected or need to update.

Tabs can be opened secretly in the background even when your phone is locked.

“When the user unlocks their device, Chrome will open with the latest website,” Malwarebytes said.

“Often a new tab opens with a new website and therefore unlocking your phone after several hours means closing several tabs.

“The user’s browsing history will also be a long list of nasty phishing sites.”

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