Angry Birds and other Rovio games impersonated by Android Market scammers

Earlier today scammers created immitation apps of many of Rovio’s popular hits, causing some consumers to purchase non-working apps. Here’s how you can protect yourself.

Not everyone can be expected to memorize the names of the legitimate companies (especially if you’re new to buying apps for a smartphone), so here are a couple of things to keep in mind if you’re concerned that an app may not be legitimate:

1. Check Reviews: They are there for a reason. If something is a scam it’s likely that people who have been burned will leave comments to that effect.
2. Check Permissions: If you are downloading a flashlight app but the permissions ask for access to your personal information and to read and write to your contacts list, something’s probably amiss.
3. Check out the number of times an app has been downloaded. If you are getting an app (like Angry Birds) that is supposed to be a huge hit, but it’s only been downloaded a couple thousand times, something stinks.

Checking just these basic things should protect you against most scams and malwayre, but it’s worth noting that if you are really concerned about scams (and less concerned about openness) you can get your apps from the Amazon App Store. Amazon’s store has fewer apps available, but they spend more time vetting them so there’s less chance of getting scammed there.

source: intoGsm via twitter

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