A fake MetaMask app on Google’s Play Store has been swindling Ethereum (ETH) from unsuspecting users. Although several scams have been found in the past, fake apps keep appearing. As covered, a security researcher has already highlighted the danger copycat crypto apps pose.
Lukas Stafanko, a leading malware researcher, discovered another phishing application, this time one for popular Ethereum wallet MetaMask. The number of people who might have fallen for this scam is unknown, but the app is said to have been downloaded over 500 times.
Fake @metamask_io app found on Google Play steals user #Ethereum funds. 💰
Funds has been already stolen because there isn't any official MetaMask Android app. It has 500+ installs. #reported pic.twitter.com/xOWj0LsCTU— Lukas Stefanko (@LukasStefanko) April 23, 2018
There were a couple of reviews published by people believed to have been scammed by the app, claiming the author was a thief and had made away with at least $3,000.
“The owner of this app is a thief. He stole all my Ethereum. Please block the owner of this application. It’s a scam app,”
Yet another displeased user said the app was fake, and claimed to have lost $2,700. Though the app has been removed from the platform at the time of writing, these incidents are seemingly not going to end anytime soon as criminals are seemingly still managing to get their apps listed on the Android app store.
Crypto Phishing Apps
There have been several reports in the past showing the Play Store has been a host for fake cryptocurrency apps that scam users. One of those scams saw a MyEtherWallet app be discovered in January. The app seemingly wasn’t popular, but had fake comments and a 5-star rating to deceive users.
There have also been two reported cases of fake apps for popular cryptocurrency exchange Poloniex. One of these apps had over 5,000 downloads before it was removed.
While thousands of apps are launched throughout the world on a daily basis, it’s necessary for Google to up its review process to ensure fake apps don’t trick cryptocurrency users. It’s worth noting that MetaMask doesn’t have an Android app. It’s presently a browser extension for Chrome, Mozilla, and Opera.