ANDROID phone owners are being warned over a dangerous new Bitcoin scam that steals your money. The scam is built into dodgy apps built by criminals, which experts now warn can be freely downloaded from the official Google Play Store. The Google Play Store is supposed to be a safe haven for Android phone users to find and install apps. But a new type of malware called a "clipper" has found its way onto the official store. That's according to experts at cybersecurity firm ESET, who say this type of malware can target buyers and sellers of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. It works by taking advantage of the fact that Bitcoin wallets have long and confusing names. "For security reasons, addresses of online cryptocurrency wallets are composed of long strings of characters," explain researchers. "Instead of typing them, users tend to copy and paste the addresses using the clipboard." It's at this point where the "clipper" malware steps in, and scams you out of money. If you've got a … [Read more...] about Bitcoin scam warning over ‘criminal’ Android apps on the official Google Store
Android app store
Fortnite scam alert – beware these dodgy Android app download links
FORTNITE scammers are using the game's recent launch on Android phones to trick users out of money, The Sun can reveal. The hit video game recently became available on select Android gadgets – but fake download links are putting players at risk. Right now, the game has only been made available on new Samsung phones, as part of an exclusive deal. Other phone makers are expected to get their own version of Fortnite very soon. Fraudsters are hoping that a lack of patience will help tempt some gamers into falling for their scams. The Sun has discovered a host of different Fortnite scams across social media – all related to Fortnite on Android downloads. One YouTube scam involves creating a video showing you how to get Fortnite on Android. The video clip shows a person demonstrating the process on their phone, but the method is completely phoney. You download a rogue app, which prompts you to pay a sign-up fee. Once you've paid up, you'll be linked through to the actual Fortnite … [Read more...] about Fortnite scam alert – beware these dodgy Android app download links
Fortnite NOT coming to Android app store as most gamers face a much longer wait than expected
FORTNITE is already on iPhone, and it's about to land on Android smartphones too – but most Android users may have quite a long wait before they get to play it. We already knew that Fortnite for Android was expected to be exclusive to the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 for 30 days after the new phone launches in August -- and it is now being suggested that once those 30 days are up, it will only be available on other Samsung devices for up to three more months. That's not the only complication. Epic Games has also confirmed the game WON'T be on Google's App Store, with Epic CEO Tim Sweeney blaming the "30 per cent store tax", a reference to the cut of all app sales Google takes. Eager gamers will have to download the official installer from Epic directly instead. After the exclusivity period ends, Epic says that roughly one in ten Android phones in the wild will be able to run Fortnite. "Fortnite requires a recent high-end Android smartphone," Sweeney told Gamesindustry.biz. … [Read more...] about Fortnite NOT coming to Android app store as most gamers face a much longer wait than expected
A 7-year-old Sims mobile game is being pulled from Chinese app stores
The Sims Freeplay, a seven-year-old mobile game, will no longer be available in seven countries starting on July 5. On Wednesday, one of the community managers on EA’s forum announced that due to “regional standards,” the game is being removed from iOS and Adroid app stores in China, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt. The Sims Freeplay is a free-to-play Sims mobile game (not to be confused with The Sims Mobile, released earlier this year). Freeplay has been around since 2011 on iOS, moving to Android, Blackberry, and Kindle Fire in following years. Players who have the game downloaded on their devices will still be able to play, but there will be no further updates or purchases available, which means the game may stop working at a later date. There will also will be no way to retrieve saved data if you’re switching to a new device. This removal follows the release of a highly-anticipated app update on June 18: allowing female … [Read more...] about A 7-year-old Sims mobile game is being pulled from Chinese app stores
Donut County lookalike is number one on the App Store
Donut County is an upcoming game by developer Ben Esposito, known for Tattletail and Anamanaguchi’s Capsule Silence XXIV. The premise is simple: You play as a hole, you swallow things, and you get bigger. After five years of development, Esposito is gearing up to release the game later this year on Mac, PC, iOS, and unannounced additional systems. In the meantime, the satisfying gameplay, quirky storyline and cute graphics have charmed fans — and, apparently, other studios. On Monday, Esposito tweeted about a clone of the game released by a publisher known as Voodoo.io. The iOS and Android app is called Hole.io, and unlike Donut County, there’s no storyline or characters, but the gameplay mechanism of being a hole and eating things to get bigger is the same. “There are differences,” says Esposito. “Donut County is a story-based puzzle game, and Hole.io combines the premise of Donut County [...] with the ‘.io’ king of the hill … [Read more...] about Donut County lookalike is number one on the App Store