Google announces to close 22 applications

Reports of a virus based on Google’s internet services have had a high cost on the web giant. There have been accusations made on the company for fraudulent messages as well.

Apparently a security hoax has gone viral in Facebook where contacts of a given user are all affected. In the wake of it, Google itself has chosen to close 22 misleading applications.

These applications were offered in the Android market and suggested downloading games like Angry Birds, horoscopes or wallpaper. However, in fact, when a surfer clicks on them without reading the terms of use, they are subscribed to premium rate messaging
service which has a high cost.

Viral messages are then sent in the name of the user, who then has to pay through the monthly bill from his operator. Even if the user read the terms of use, its wording makes it difficult to recognize the consequences of accepting them.

In the U.S., the trick of these applications does not work because the code used to activate is not supported. However, it’s functioning has been detected in different countries, like Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Estonia, UK, Italy, Israel, France and Germany.

This weekend, a malicious message was distributed that has apparently been sent by a Facebook user, who received it from one of his contacts.

A note is received and when you click on the link, it directs the surfer to a page that mimics the design of Facebook, but is hosted on a BlogSpot domain, the blogging platform from Google.

The Internet user is then requested to install a browser plug-in with the excuse that it allows the video to be played.

This application which is an alleged extension of YouTube, in reality is a malicious code that has been used to spread the threat to other users.

In the next step, the user is requested to submit their mobile phone number with the false pretence of providing a code for viewing.

This type of web-based applications profit from subscribing the premium service to a user and charges them on receiving SMS messages.

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Posted by Awais Khan on Dec 13 2011. Filed under Entertainment, Sci-Tech, Society. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry