Security News > 2020 > September > How rogue TikTok accounts are promoting malicious mobile apps
Malicious mobile apps can pose a problem for any smartphone owner.
A new series of malicious apps designed for both iOS and Android are being promoted by rogue TikTok accounts as a way to gain a wide audience.
In a blog posted on Tuesday, security provider Avast explained how these malicious scam apps work.
"The apps we discovered are scams and violate both Google's and Apple's app policies by either making misleading claims around app functionalities, or serving ads outside of the app and hiding the original app icon soon after the app is installed," Jakub Vávra, threat analyst at Avast, said in a press release.
Apps posing as simple programs such as games and wallpapers may carry a price tag of around $8, an unrealistic amount considering that similar legitimate apps are typically free, according to Vávra.