The Instagram app for Android can truly be called a success. In a week’s time, the app received more than 5 million downloads, which caught the attention of Facebook. Facebook purchased the app for $1 billion. The app’s popularity has definitely skyrocketed. Unfortunately, shady figures have taken advantage of this success and created a fake Instagram app, which contains malware that can span premium numbers via SMS without you knowing. This can potentially rack up your phone bill.
According to Sophos, a security provider, “In our tests, the app didn’t do a very good job of emulating the genuine Instagram app, but that may be because it failed to find the correct network operator. Because this is a malicious app that seems to be relying in the sending of background SMS messages to earn its creators revenue.”
The fake Instagram app for Android cannot be found in Google Play (formerly known as the Android Market). It can only be downloaded by users who allow downloads from ‘Unknown Sources’. Therefore, only download the genuine Instagram app for your Samsung Galaxy S2 or HTC One X from Google Play.
Have you been infected by the fake Instagram app for Android? Express your rage through a comment.
