Google investigates fake casino apps hidden in Play Store Early Access
Bitdefender said thousands of Early Access titles appear to include fake casino and reward apps with public ratings and reviews switched off.
US.- Google is investigating after Bitdefender reported that developers are using the Google Play Early Access programme to list fake casino and reward apps that cannot be publicly rated or reviewed. The cybersecurity firm said an analysis of Google Play apps installed by its users found “thousands of Early Access applications that appear to include fake casino games and reward apps, as well as titles that may infringe on third-party trademarks and potentially misleading utilities.”
Early Access lets developers publish unfinished apps to collect feedback before a full release. Public star ratings and reviews are not shown while an app remains in the programme. According to Bitdefender, this “removes one of Google Play’s most important trust signals.”
Cybernews reports that some of the apps flagged by Bitdefender had hundreds of thousands of installs, and that one potentially deceptive game had more than 1m downloads. Bitdefender said many of the listings were promoted on TikTok and Facebook with misleading advertisements, including videos that used AI-generated celebrity deepfakes and offers such as “250 spins for free”.
The firm said many apps promise cash rewards, PayPal payouts, cryptocurrency earnings, gift cards, free spins or casino jackpots, then serve advertisements and slow progress as users approach withdrawal thresholds. The titles are said to often resemble casual slot or puzzle games. Some of those cited use trademark-related names without permission, such as “Grand Theft Auto V (Early Access)”. Bitdefender said some developers upload multiple similar titles.
