Pokémon GO has started a global craze which led to some players desperate enough to download fake apps and Pokémon GO APKs from third party sites that installs malware on their smartphones.
Niantic Labs has not yet fully released the game across the globe. The app is limited to users in Australia, United States, New Zealand, Germany and the United Kingdom.
As an alternative, Pokémon GO cheats, tips and tricks articles often point out that users can download the app unofficially from third-party sites so they can play the game. The tactic worked at first but the servers were then blocked out.
Security firm ESET has now found out that several of the fake Pokémon GO apps in the Google Play Store were found to have backdoor viruses when installed on the Android smartphones, Gizmodo has learned. One app in particular called "Pokémon GO Ultimate" installed a screenlocker that prevented users from accessing their phones even after a reboot.
Such apps compromise the smartphones of the gullible users as they use it for their own financial gains. The Ultimate app automatically viewed advertisements as long as the smartphone was open and connected to the Internet.
ESET sad that the fake Pokémon GO app was downloaded up to 1,000 times before it was taken down, Computerworld reported. Regardless of the app reviews, some people still believe that it could provide the real thing by allowing them to bypass the server lock Niantic has set even though the app does not really do anything other than to install malware.
Other apps also lured users because they were about Pokémon GO cheats, tips and tricks. Some apps even promised that they could automatically generate Pokéballs and other items so that the user can just relax. There hasn't been a working generator and all of the apps claiming that they work are probably just fake.
Some apps do provide real tips for Pokémon GO. They are just the basic ones which show the tricks needed to become a Pokémon master but users are better off just viewing articles on Google.
As long as Pokémon GO is not yet fully released internationally, more users will be duped into downloading fake Pokémon GO apps. Users expect the gradual roll out of the app to be finished by the end of July.