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Fake WhatsApp app with more than 500,000 downloads appears above real version on Google Play

Impostor listing was still live at time of writing, days after a fake Chrome app was spotted on the same store

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
A fake version of WhatsApp has appeared in a sponsored slot directly above the genuine app on Google's Play Store, had racked up more than 500,000 downloads, and was still live at the time of reporting, according to The Verge. The impostor uses the same icon, screenshots and text as the real app, making it hard to distinguish from the authentic WhatsApp.

An impostor WhatsApp listing has surfaced in a sponsored position above the real app on Google's Play Store, with more than 500,000 downloads at the time of writing, according to tech outlet The Verge.

The fake app, first reported by Android Authority, comes from a developer going by the name "Agment Assets sallu," who has no other apps listed on the store. The listing copies the icon, screenshots and description of the genuine WhatsApp. Its package name, com.AgmentAssetssallu.DeadPixelTriPulse, has no connection to the legitimate app.

A Reddit user flagged the impostor, saying it appeared above the real version in a sponsored slot. The Verge reported that Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and that the listing remained live when checked.

The discovery follows a separate report earlier this week of a fake Android app posing as Google Chrome on the Play Store, which reportedly drew downloads before Google removed it. The back-to-back sightings highlight how impersonator applications can secure prominent positions in the official Android store, the same icon and branding as trusted apps aiding their spread.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • Android users who search the Play Store for WhatsApp may install the impostor, which is promoted in a paid slot directly above the authentic version.
  • More than 500,000 downloads mean a large number of people have installed an unverified app whose icon, screenshots and text are copied from the real WhatsApp.
  • The incident follows a fake Chrome app on the same store this week, suggesting impersonator listings are appearing in quick succession.

Background

Google's Play Store is the official channel for Android apps, and sponsored slots are paid placements that appear in search results. Impersonator apps are a long-standing problem for the platform: they copy the look of trusted applications to trick users into installing them, sometimes to serve ads, harvest data, or deliver malicious code. Google uses automated and human review to police the store, but as this week's sightings show, fake listings can still appear prominently and remain live for a period before action is taken.

Key Perspectives

Google: The company had not responded to requests for comment when the report was published. Its review systems have removed impostor apps in the past, as with the Chrome clone, but the WhatsApp listing was still live at the time of writing.

Users: The Reddit user who spotted the fake described it as mildly infuriating, pointing to the confusion caused by a sponsored impostor sitting above the real app. With matching icons, screenshots and text, the average user has little obvious way to tell the two apart before installing.

Security researchers: The developer account has no other listings and the package name is unrelated to WhatsApp, warning signs that careful users can check. The 500,000-plus download count raises questions about how quickly the Play Store acts on impersonation reports.

What to Watch

  • Whether Google removes the fake WhatsApp listing and the developer's account in the coming days.
  • Whether the reported download count climbs further while the listing remains live.
  • Whether more impostor apps appear after this week's Chrome and WhatsApp sightings, and how swiftly Google responds.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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