WATCH OUT: A malicious Flappy Bird clone that tricks users into sending SMSes to premium numbers and get charged exorbitant amounts of money.
Did you miss out on the Flappy Bird craze? The frustrating yet simple game became an overnight sensation but its creator, Dong Nguyen, pulled it from the Google Play store recently and it’s no longer available.
If you were late to the party, there are plenty of “clones” of Flappy Bird on the store that you can try out.
However, you should be careful as several of the clones contain malware that could end up costing you a bomb, according to Sophos.
The ones with malware are capable of sending out messages to premium services which will result in unwanted charges, according to the security specialist. And even if you close the game, it can continue running in the background.
Sophos advises users to exercise caution when downloading apps from markets other than Google Play, and to also run an antivirus app to ensure that their devices are safe.
In any case, prevention is still better than cure, so be very careful when you download your next Flappy Bird clone.
Related story:
Flappy Bird creator says popular game will fly no more
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