Fake GTA App Surpasses One Million Downloads on Google Play via Early Access Exploit
Google Play's early access feature has been exploited by scammers to download fake applications that promise easy earnings. One such application, a fake version of Grand Theft Auto V, surpassed one million downloads despite having no visible public reviews.
The scam works by allowing users to accumulate virtual balances easily but then slows down progress when the account approaches the minimum withdrawal threshold. The goal is to prolong exposure to advertising and collect revenue from ads.
Bitdefender researchers analyzed thousands of applications in early access and found that many reused the same software with different names, including references to franchises like Chicken Road or Ice Fishing. They also detected that when Google Play removes one of these apps, its operators quickly replace it with another published from a different developer account.
The scammers used promotional images generated with artificial intelligence to give their applications a recognizable appearance. Bitdefender identified ads on TikTok and Facebook that used deepfakes of athletes and celebrities created with AI to redirect users to these downloads.