Google kills fake anti-virus app that hit No. 1 on Play charts
"Virus Shield", an app that briefly shot to the top of the charts on Google Play, has turned out to be a complete fake and has therefore been pulled by Google.
The scam, turned up by Android Police, is as simple as a con-man could wish for: the app includes almost no functionality whatever, yet it was briefly a chart-topper on Google Play, something that at $US3.99 for the download.
According to Appbrain, the software sailed past 10,000 downloads, putting its take at close to $US40,000 for nothing at all. The Register says “almost no functionality” because the app does just one thing: it changes its icon when you tap it, pretending to be checking your phone for viruses.
