A fake WhatsApp application was downloaded over a million times in the past week through the Google Play Store.
With WhatsApp being among the leading forms of communication nowadays, it was no surprise that millions of users became easy prey to the scheme. Reports say the app called "Update WhatsApp Messenger" looked very much like the original version, as seen in a screenshot from a Redditor. It managed to fool the Play Store by using a special character that looks like a space, making it appear as if it is the same program developed by WhatsApp Inc.
The fake app reportedly contained ads, as well as a code to download another program.
Google failed to see the trick until Redditors spotted it. The worst thing for those who already downloaded it was, they found it hard to delete the imitation app from their phones as it did not have an icon nor even a name in the phone settings. However, soon the news reached Google and the fake app has been deleted since.
This was not the first time a bogus application made it to the Google Play Store. There has also been dupe Facebook and Instagram apps in the past. In July 2015, BBC noted that BatteryBot Pro, a genuine app that monitors a phone's power use, was also imitated. The fake app sent premium-rate text messages and managed to prevent users from deleting it.
Forbes points out that the latest break-in shows a bigger problem in its technology — one that researchers have been warning them about for years. The problem, experts say, is Google's inability to recognize the use of blank-looking spaces and Unicode character, which make developer names and titles look legitimate.
For Google, the development of a smarter technology is a continuous process. However, at this rate, it looks like before Google can even figure out a new technology, hackers have already found a way to decode them.
