Many people download apps on their smartphones, mostly from the Google Play Store. Normally, the apps on the Play Store are checked by Google to make sure they are safe. However, some harmful apps still manage to get through these checks and appear on the store. Recently, a research group called Cyble discovered more than 20 fake cryptocurrency wallet apps on the Play Store.
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These apps are dangerous because they try to steal important information from users, especially the private recovery phrases that give access to cryptocurrency wallets. They target users of popular decentralized finance (DeFi) wallets like SushiSwap, PancakeSwap, Hyperliquid, and Raydium.
These fake apps work by asking users to enter their 12-word wallet recovery phrase, which is very important for controlling and restoring crypto wallets. If someone shares this phrase with these apps, hackers can take full control of their wallets and steal all their digital assets. The apps spread by using old developer accounts that were once used to create real and trusted apps like games or video tools. This makes people more likely to trust them. They also use tricky links in their privacy policies and copy the look of real apps, which helps them spread quickly and fool many users.
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Cyble’s report lists several fake apps including Suiet Wallet, SushiSwap, Raydium, Hyperliquid, BullX Crypto, Pancake Swap, OpenOcean Exchange, Meteora Exchange, and Harvest Finance blog, among others. If you find any of these apps on your phone, it is important to delete them immediately. Never enter your wallet recovery phrase into any app that is not official or verified. Only download and reinstall wallet apps from trusted sources, such as the official app stores or the wallet’s official website. Also, enable two-factor authentication (2FA) where available for extra protection, and regularly check your wallet for any suspicious transactions.
To remove these apps from your phone, open the Settings, go to Apps or Apps & notifications, find the suspicious apps from the list, and tap Uninstall. If you are unable to uninstall because the app has special device administrator permissions, go to Settings, then Security, then Device admin apps, and disable the app’s admin access. After that, you should be able to uninstall the app. Taking these steps will help keep your smartphone and crypto wallets safe from theft.
