Every time we talk about malicious programs, we say that we do not recommend installing applications from anywhere except Google Play. Still, applications on Google Play are scanned for malicious code. However, as it turned out, there are hundreds of fraudulent applications that could go through Google's protection and appear in the store and on users' smartphones.

According to colleagues from the Android Authority, the problem was found in the company eZanga, which deals with the fight against scammers. They found applications that fraudulently earn on advertising. According to the company, 300 such applications in the store can bring the entire industry losses of $ 6.5 billion.

Researchers have found that some applications request the display of banners and perform clicks on them even when the phone is in standby mode. In other words, you are not doing anything, and your device is viewing ads and clicking on links.

In alternative sources, there were found 1,300 such fraudulent applications. Google Play found 317.

Applications are harmful not so much to users as to advertisers. They show ads that no one sees. Advertisers, in turn, pay for these impressions.

It should be noted that such applications are popular among users. Clone Camera application alone received a million installations. Researchers published a list of developers whose applications should be avoided. Among them are Attunable, Classywall, Firamo, FlameryHot, NeonApp, Goopolo, Litvinka Co, Livelypapir, Tuneatpa Personalization, Waterflo, X Soft, and Zheka.