Fake version of WhatsApp downloaded by over 1 million Android users from Google Play Store

Beware! WhatsApp Business app on Google Play Store is fake

Watch out Android users who are looking to download the most popular messaging service, WhatsApp, as a fake version of the app was discovered on Google Play Store .

The fake and malicious version of WhatsApp Business posing as “Update WhatsApp Messenger” is still available to download on Google Play Store with the developer title “WhatsApp Inc*”. The developer has now changed its name to “Update WhatsApp”. While there are several fake versions, one version has been downloaded up to 5,000 times, there is another version under the same name which has a million downloads.

The malicious software was first discovered by Twitter user @MujtabaMHaq and later reported by the popular WhatsApp change tracking website, WABetaInfo.

@WABetaInfo @WhatsApp before official original app, there's a copycat app has been launched on @GooglePlay Store… pic.twitter.com/XFtA5mVEP8

— M?????? M?????? (@MujtabaMHaq) October 31, 2017

While some users complained about not being unable to login into the chat app, some said they were served with ads to download other apps.

The WABetaInfo social media account tweeted about the fake version to its 30,000 followers.

Thanks to report this.

Please followers, DON’T DOWNLOAD THIS APP! IT’S FAKE!WhatsApp Business IS NOT OFFICIALLY AVAILABLE YET FOR ALL.

Check only official channels to download WhatsApp Business *in future*.@WhatsApp should ask to @GooglePlay to remove it as soon as possible. https://t.co/Uve3Y3vsbp

– WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) October 31, 2017

Although WhatsApp officially announced the beta test run of the WhatsApp business last month, it is yet to launch it as a standalone service. This chat app is designed to make it easier for businesses and regular users to communicate.

“In the coming months, we’ll be testing new features that aim to solve some of these challenges, and make it easier for people to communicate with the businesses they want to reach on WhatsApp. Our approach is simple – we want to apply what we’ve learned helping people connect with each other to helping people connect with businesses that are important to them, ” the company states on its blog.

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