An estimated 20 million or more people have installed “a scam app that automatically starts a paid subscription of tens of thousands of yen after the free period”
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Some apps are called “free apps” and some are completely free, others have ads in them, and there are a variety of apps, some of which require billing for some features. . SophotsLabs , which provides protection services against viruses and spyware, is sounding a warning against fraudulent apps on Android, saying that a “ subscription contract of tens of thousands of yen is automatically signed after the trial period ”.
'Fleeceware' apps overcharge users for basic app functionality – Sophos News
https://news.sophos.com/en-us/2019/09/25/fleeceware-apps-overcharge-users-for-basic-app-functionality/
The fraudulent app in question is a free app that seems to be everywhere, with only simple functions such as “QR code reader”, “compass”, and “GIF image maker”. When both apps are launched, you will be asked to enter credit card information in case the free trial period ends. So far, it ’s the same flow as a regular app with a trial period, so it looks like there ’s no problem.
However, at the end of the trial period, the fraudulent app in question automatically starts a high billing fee of 104.99 euros (about 12,000 yen) or 219.99 euros (about 26,000 yen). To cancel this charge, you need to cancel the subscription instead of uninstalling the app.
To cancel your subscription, tap “Subscription” from the Google Google Play Store menu icon.
Select a subscription to cancel.
Tap “Cancel subscription” to start the subscription cancellation procedure. This is the first time that you can cancel your subscription.
The SophotsLabs research team reported 15 scam apps that use the trick, but Google said that 14 of the 15 apps were deleted. However, as SophotsLabs continued to research, more apps were downloaded than the ones reported.
One of the reported apps is below. To avoid damage, the links are not included in the article. This app will automatically start a paid subscription contract of 104.99 euros (about 12,000 yen) per month after the trial period.
There are over 20 million installs of fraudulent apps that use similar tricks, and many people may charge for fraudulent apps every month.
The scam app in question does not contain malware, so it does not violate the Google Play Store policy. However, there is no one who can convince that a simple application such as QR code reader charges tens of thousands of yen per month, and in the Google Play store 48 hours after payment can not be refunded, so there is an ethical problem It can be said that there is.
The SophotsLabs research team has recommended Google to tighten the Google Play store policy, and that the “hole” that exists in the Google Play store policy where these fraudulent apps are legalized should be crushed Insist.
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