A fake app claiming to automate the process of installing firmware updates for Samsung devices, has been downloaded over 10 million times. While Updates for Samsung is available for download on Google Play, the official Android store, a recent analysis depicts it as a fraudulent product designed to make money off of unsuspecting users.
The app presents users with an ad-infested website where they can choose to download Samsung firmware updates for free, or to purchase an annual subscription for $34.99. Users who choose the free option will hardly be able to install a single update as their download speeds will be incredibly low and downloads often fail altogether. The aim of this is to get users to opt for the premium subscription instead, despite the fact that Samsung offers updates for free. Users who choose the premium option are asked to enter their credit card information, since the app doesn’t make use of the official Google Play subscriptions API. In addition, the app presents users with numerous adds, and may even cause devices to malfunction.
Read more: Fake ‘Updates for Samsung’ Android App Tricked 10 Million Users