Quote:About 204 different “fleeceware” applications with a combined billion+ downloads have raked in more than $400 million in revenue so far, via the Apple App Store and Google Play, analysis has revealed.
Fleeceware apps generally offer users a free trial to “test” the app, before commencing automatic payments that can be exorbitant. In an analysis from Avast released on Wednesday, some of those subscriptions can reach $3,400 or more per year. And often, users are charged even after they’ve deleted the offending application.
“These applications generally have no unique functionality and are merely conduits for fleeceware scams,” said Avast researcher Jakub Vávra, in the posting. “While the applications generally fulfill their intended purpose, it is unlikely that a user would knowingly want to pay such a significant recurring fee for these applications, especially when there are cheaper or even free alternatives on the market.”
The company found that most of the offending apps (which were flagged to Apple and Google for review) are musical instrument apps, palm readers, image editors, camera filters, fortune tellers, QR code and PDF readers, and something called “slime simulators,” which allow users to play with virtual goo. Clearly, many of these apps are marketed towards children. Unfortunately, parents often only figure out the source of the charges weeks or months later, according to the research.
“It appears that part of the fleeceware strategy is to target younger audiences through playful themes and catchy advertisements on popular social networks with promises of ‘free installation’ or ‘free to download,'” Vávra said. “By the time parents notice the weekly payments, the fleeceware may have already extracted significant amounts of money.”
Read more: Fleeceware Apps Bank $400M in Revenue | Threatpost
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