Counterfeit Gambling Apps Infiltrate Google Play and iOS App Store Counterfeit Gambling Apps Infiltrate Google Play and iOS App Store
Key Takeaways
  • Google and Apple recently removed hundreds of apps from their app stores after they were determined to have the ability to be altered to offer online gambling.
  • The counterfeit apps were disguised as legitimate apps with some impersonating existing apps.
  • The Trojan-like nature of these fake apps served to circumvent laws restricting online gambling as well as policies implemented by the app stores to limit real money online gambling apps on their platforms.

Google and Apple recently removed hundreds of apps from their app stores after they were determined to have the ability to be altered to offer online gambling.

Discovered by cyber security firm Trend Micro, the counterfeit apps were disguised as legitimate apps with some impersonating existing apps.

“While the apps’ descriptions varied, they share the same suspicious behavior: They could transform into gambling apps,” according to Trend Micro.

In many cases the fake gambling apps were ranked as some of the most popular in the App Store with some being “rated more than 100,000 times,” Trend Micro noted.

The Trojan-like nature of these fake apps served to circumvent laws restricting online gambling as well as policies implemented by the app stores to limit real money online gambling apps on their platforms.