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There’s a new type of dodgy PDF reader app doing the rounds, and it’s one you should be on the lookout for.
The app, which goes by the name “PDF Viewer”, promises to let you open PDFs on your Android phone. But once installed, it quickly starts displaying full-screen advertising – and there’s no way to get rid of it.
“More specifically, the reader is known as PDF reader – documents viewer, package name com.document.pdf.viewer. As a result, this aggressive behaviour lands it in the realm of adware,” according to Malwarebytes.
It disguises malicious adware that allows full-screen popups to appear on your android phone with disturbing notifications and sounds, even if you’re not using it.
If you try to search it on Google Play Store, you can already see some obvious reasons you should not install it on your phone.
First, the app contains a content rating of “Mature 17+”, which is quite suspicious since most of the accredited PDF readers’ content rating on the app store is set at 3+.
Another thing is you might notice that the app developer’s name, “Fairy games,” is quite unusual and is more likely a game developer’s name.
Although the Google Play Store has included all these red flags, many still become victims because the ads will not immediately pop up after downloading them. The user will still have to wait for an hour or more before the ads display on the screen. This is when the users will start to get confused about where the ads are coming from.
“This long delay is to make it harder to track down which app is causing the ads,” Malwarebytes explained.
Malwarebytes also added that this app is just one of several dodgy PDF viewer apps available on the Play Store since November 2021.
If you think this app has already infected your phone, you should uninstall it immediately and run a malware scan.
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