Whatever you do, do NOT download THESE Windows apps

Spam apps posing as popular applications like BBC News and WhatsApp were discovered in the App Store

SCAMMERS have infiltrated Microsoft's App Store with a slew of 58 fake apps, including fraudulent versions of BBC News and WhatsApp, a top security blog has cautioned.

 

Less than two months before Windows 10 rolls out on smartphones, a top security blog has discovered a number of fake apps.

The fraudulent apps are designed to look like a number of popular smartphone applications, including Facebook Messenger, CNN, BBC and WhatsApp.

Some of these fake apps simply collect data on the smartphone owner and use it display advertisements.

 

However a select few of the fraudulent Windows applications lead users to webpages that force smartphone owners to purchase something.

The news comes hours after Microsoft announced two new Windows 10 smartphones, the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL.

Microsoft introduced the smartphones at a New York press event alongside an updated Surface Pro 4 and the firm's first laptop, the Surface Book.

Two coders – dubbed Ngetich Walter and Cheruiyot Dennis – are responsible for some 58 different different fake apps in the Windows Phone Store.

Two developers – Ngetich Walter and Cheruiyot Dennis – have submitted some 58 fake apps

Filip Chytry, of the influential Avast Security blog, claims the Windows App Store is becoming "an increasingly popular platform for the bad guys."

"These days, the Google Play store and iTunes continue to implement smarter solutions to protect their entire ecosystems," he wrote on the cybersecurity blog.

"This approach is making these systems quite difficult to attack and monetize, causing hackers to avoid them altogether.

 

The App Store reviews hint at the fraudulent nature of some of the popular smartphone apps

"As a result, a less widely used, third-party app store such as the Windows Phone Store is an ideal place for a hacker to hunt for security loopholes.

"On top of analysing the reasons behind why these cybercriminals do what they do, it’s also interesting to consider the fact that often, fake apps remain on third-party app stores for weeks and even months at a time.

"For some reason, no one takes the time to report bad apps, even if it’s clear that they are fake and the majority of user reviews are extremely negative."