Have you fallen prey too? Meet three apps scammed 20 million people

In a report published by Dr.WEB, the maker of virus removal software, there are three such apps in the Google Play Store that have been downloaded more than 20 million times:

Lucky Step-Walking Tracker – over 10 million downloads

WalkingJoy – over 5 million downloads

Lucky Habit: Health Tracker – over 5 million downloads

All three apps work on the same principle, giving users virtual currency for completing certain tasks, such as walking a certain distance or adopting healthy habits, and these coins can later be exchanged for real money. If users want to avoid tasks, they have the option to watch ads.

"To start the process of withdrawing what they 'won', users had to collect a significant number of rewards. If they succeeded, the app further asked them to watch dozens of advertising videos. They were also offered to speed up the withdrawal process by viewing more ads. However, the apps often haven't verified any of the payment information provided by users, so the chances of these apps paying out the promised money are extremely slim,” explains Dr.WEB in his report.

Of the three apps listed, only Lucky Habit: Health Tracker is still available on the Google Play Store at the moment, but we have no doubt that Google will remove it soon. If you have installed any of these applications, we advise you to remove them from your device.

Our advice is to think twice before downloading even harmless apps. If you suspect an app is malicious, trust your gut, because it probably is.