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Kaspersky warns of imposter mobile security apps

That Windows Phone security suite? DELETE IT RIGHT NOW

Security firm Kaspersky Lab is warning users following the discovery of a set of mobile malware apps that impersonate its products.

The firm said that unknown malware writers have been crafting applications that bill themselves as being Kaspersky products but instead infect devices or simply fail to do much of anything once purchased and installed.

According to Kaspersky, one of the two impersonators was being sold through the Windows Phone Store, billing itself as Kaspersky Mobile. The second phony Kaspersky product was found in the Google Play store, branded as Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2014.

In reality, Kaspersky produces one product for mobile devices, Kaspersky Internet Security for Android, which is sold on its own or as part of the Internet Security Multi-Device bundle. The company does not offer a Windows Phone product.

While fake anti-malware applications have long been a danger for PC users, the scam tactic has only recently made its way into the mobile space. Earlier this year, a phony security application known as Virus Shield duped so many users that for a time was the most popular app on Google Play.

"Scammers who want to make a quick buck from inattentive users are selling dozens of fake apps, copying the design, but not the functionality of the original," said Kaspersky Lab senior malware analyst Roman Unuchek.

"It is quite possible that more and more of these fake apps will start appearing."

The company is advising users who may have installed either of the malware apps to immediately delete them and contact the relevant app store for a refund. Both apps have since been taken down. ®

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