A suspicious free download led to the woman losing over 10,000 rupees. 10,000. Beware of this scam online. Learn how to stay clear of it in the Google Play Store.
Internet scams are becoming more difficult to spot. A free application download can cost you more than 10,000 rupees. 10,000. Find out the reason for this and learn how you can avoid it when you download apps from the Google Play Store. (Alex Green/Pexels)
In the present, when everybody is connected electronically and the majority of us keep our financial information on our phones via UPI and digital wallets as well as online banking applications, it’s essential to be vigilant of any scams that might be lurking within us. While many of us can maintain the safety of using unknown websites to download our files, and also not using shady websites but what happens when the online fraud happens at extremely trusted sites for downloading apps – Google Play Store.
We are all in the habit of downloading free games and apps from the Google Play Store without giving them an ounce of thought. That’s exactly what led to a shocking situation for this woman who lost over 10,000 rupees. 10,000 after downloading an app for free. Learn more about the story of her death and how to keep yourself secure.
The woman is enticed by an online fraud on the Google Play Store and loses more than R. 10,000
The incident occurred in Essex, UK, where Sarah Bruce, a mother of two children, discovered that a free app that her son had downloaded cost her an astronomical PS109.99 or around the amount of Rs. 10,000. She described the incident in Sun Online. She explained, “My son was on my phone, watching something on YouTube and an ad flashed up for a game called Epic Slime – Fancy ASMR Slime Game Sim”. After examining the game, she saw nothing that was suspicious and she then advised her son that he was able to download it. Then she experienced the most terrifying experience of her entire life.
“I then got an email from Google Play to say thank you for your purchase for Epic Slime at PS109.99,” Sarah said to Sun Online. Then the worst part was that she was charged she was then debited PS68.99 (around 6,600 rupees). 6,600) as the initial payment for a monthly subscription to the application. Fuming that she had to contact Google and they could only inform her that it wasn’t their policy to refund the amount and she’d have to discuss the issue with the app’s creator.
After numerous calls to the developer, and submitting numerous reports to Google the developer, she was able to recover the subscription fee, but it was not PS109.99. One app she downloaded for free downloaded from the Google Play Store ended up costing her thousands of dollars. Online scams like this are uncommon, but they have been reported in recent years. Learn about what they do and how you can stay secure from these scams.
What are the methods used by these Google Play Store apps to run their online fraud?
We looked into the app for free that we were able to download (which remains available to download) We discovered that the app appears as a normal free app, and does not mention purchase. However, when you install and launch the app, it pops up a massive window that has a huge START button that has a lot of text written in a tiny script.
The text asks for the user to consent to purchase. A lot of users who are not aware would click the “start” button since each game comes with it realizing they have been permitted to purchase. And to make matters even more difficult the game isn’t able to shut down the pop-up. The only option is to leave the game. This is a very dangerous scam as, even though it appears to comply with Google guidelines, it uses these policies to make users buy products. Learn how to safeguard yourself from these scams.
How to stay clear of frauds with free apps on the Google Play Store
Step 1:
If possible, avoid connecting your bank account to Google Play Store to make it impossible for an automated transaction to occur.
Step 2:
Make sure that if your kid is on your phone you do not allow them to install any apps without your consent regardless of whether it’s downloaded from Google Play Store. Google Play Store.
Step 3:
If you download an unrecognized application, make sure you take the time to review the app and do not press an option without having read the details above.
Step 4:
If you discover these malicious applications, be sure to inform Google.