(RepublicanInformer.com)- A PDF reader app in the Google Play Store with over a million downloads isn’t what it appears to be.
According to the cybersecurity firm Malwarebytes, the PDF reader app is in reality adware in which the full-screen ads pop up even if the app is not in use.
Users who download the PDF reader are frequently bombarded with full-screen pop-up ads and each time an ad pops up, the app creator makes money.
What’s more, once the app is installed, a notification chimes whenever the phone is locked. When the user unlocks the phone to see the notification, a full-screen ad appears. After that, a video ad pops up. Then the ads become more frequent.
The PDF reader app has been available in the Google Play Store since November 2021. Since then, it has been downloaded over a million times.
Google bans adware apps and has checks in place to prevent them. However, some adware apps, like this one, continue to slip through the cracks.
According to Malwarebytes, the creators designed the app to evade capture by delaying the pop-up ads for hours after the app is downloaded, making it harder to figure out what app is causing the full-screen ads.
Malwarebytes recommends Android users make sure their software is up-to-date. It also advises users to think twice before downloading an app. Users should perform a manual virus scan on downloaded files before opening them.
Read the Malwarebytes report on the PDF reader app from “Fairy games” HERE.
