Fake ChatGPT apps are hijacking your phone without you knowing

App stores are expected to beryllium reliable and escaped of malware oregon fake apps, but that's acold from the truth. For each morganatic exertion that solves a existent problem, determination are dozens of knockoffs waiting to exploit marque designation and idiosyncratic trust. We've seen it hap with games, productivity tools and amusement apps. Now, artificial quality has go the latest battleground for integer impostors.

The AI roar has created an unprecedented golden unreserved successful mobile app development, and opportunistic actors are cashing in. AI-related mobile apps collectively relationship for billions of downloads, and that monolithic idiosyncratic basal has attracted a caller question of clones. They airs arsenic fashionable apps similar ChatGPT and DALL·E, but successful reality, they conceal blase spyware susceptible of stealing information and monitoring users.

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Fake AI apps airs arsenic trusted tools similar ChatGPT and DALL·E portion secretly stealing idiosyncratic data. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

What you request to cognize astir the fake AI apps

The fake apps flooding app stores beryllium connected a spectrum of harm, and knowing that scope is important earlier you download immoderate AI tools. Take the "DALL·E 3 AI Image Generator" recovered connected Aptoide. It presents itself arsenic an OpenAI product, implicit with branding that mimics the existent thing. When you unfastened it, you spot a loading surface that looks similar an AI exemplary generating an image. But thing is really being generated.

Network investigation by Appknox showed the app connects lone to advertizing and analytics services. There's nary AI functionality, conscionable an illusion designed to cod your information for monetization.

Then determination are apps similar WhatsApp Plus, which are acold much dangerous. Disguised arsenic an upgraded mentation of Meta's messenger, this app hides a implicit malware model susceptible of surveillance, credential theft and persistent inheritance execution. It's signed with a fake certificate alternatively of WhatsApp's morganatic cardinal and uses a instrumentality often utilized by malware authors to encrypt malicious code.

Once installed, it silently requests extended permissions, including entree to your contacts, SMS, telephone logs, instrumentality accounts and messages. These permissions let it to intercept one-time passwords, scrape your code publication and impersonate you successful chats. Hidden libraries support the codification moving adjacent aft you adjacent the app. Network logs amusement it uses domain fronting to disguise its postulation down Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud endpoints.

Not each clone is malicious. Some apps place themselves arsenic unofficial interfaces and link straight to existent APIs. The occupation is that you often can't archer the quality betwixt a harmless wrapper and a malicious impersonator until it's excessively late.

Clones fell spyware that tin entree messages, passwords and contacts. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

Users and businesses are arsenic astatine risk

The interaction of fake AI apps goes acold beyond frustrated users. For enterprises, these clones airs a nonstop menace to marque reputation, compliance and information security.

When a malicious app steals credentials portion utilizing your brand's identity, customers don't conscionable suffer information but besides suffer trust. Research shows customers halt buying from a marque aft a large breach. The mean outgo of a information breach present stands astatine 4.45 cardinal dollars, according to IBM's 2025 report. In regulated sectors similar concern and healthcare, specified breaches tin pb to violations of GDPR, HIPAA and PCI-DSS, with fines reaching up to 4% of planetary turnover.

These impostors harm some users and brands, starring to costly information breaches and mislaid trust. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

8 steps to support yourself from fake AI apps

While the menace scenery continues to evolve, determination are applicable measures you tin instrumentality to support yourself from malicious clones and impersonators.

1) Install reputable antivirus software

A prime mobile information solution tin observe and artifact malicious apps earlier they origin damage. Modern antivirus programs scan apps for suspicious behavior, unauthorized permissions and known malware signatures. This archetypal enactment of defence is particularly important arsenic fake apps go much blase successful hiding their existent intentions.

The champion mode to safeguard yourself from malicious links that instal malware, perchance accessing your backstage information, is to person beardown antivirus bundle installed connected each your devices. This extortion tin besides alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your idiosyncratic accusation and integer assets safe.

Get my picks for the champion 2025 antivirus extortion winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices astatine Cyberguy.com.

2) Use a password manager

Apps similar WhatsApp Plus specifically people credentials and tin intercept passwords typed straight into fake interfaces. A password manager autofills credentials lone connected morganatic sites and apps, making it importantly harder for impostors to seizure your login accusation done phishing oregon fake app interfaces.

Next, spot if your email has been exposed successful past breaches. Our No. 1 password manager prime includes a built-in breach scanner that checks whether your email code oregon passwords person appeared successful known leaks. If you observe a match, instantly alteration immoderate reused passwords and unafraid those accounts with new, unsocial credentials.

Check retired the champion expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 astatine Cyberguy.com.

3) Consider individuality theft extortion services

Given that malicious clones tin bargain idiosyncratic information, intercept SMS verification codes and adjacent impersonate users successful chats, individuality theft extortion provides an further information net. These services show for unauthorized usage of your idiosyncratic accusation and tin alert you if your individuality is being misused crossed assorted platforms and services.

Identity theft companies tin show idiosyncratic accusation similar your Social Security fig (SSN), telephone fig and email code and alert you if it is being sold connected the acheronian web oregon being utilized to unfastened an account. They tin besides assistance you successful freezing your slope and recognition paper accounts to forestall further unauthorized usage by criminals.

See my tips and champion picks connected however to support yourself from individuality theft at Cyberguy.com.

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4) Enable two-factor authentication everywhere

While immoderate blase malware tin intercept SMS codes, 2FA inactive adds a captious furniture of security. Use authenticator apps alternatively than SMS erstwhile possible, arsenic they're harder to compromise. Even if a fake app captures your password, 2FA makes it importantly much hard for attackers to entree your accounts.

5) Keep your instrumentality and apps updated

Security patches often code vulnerabilities that malicious apps exploit. Regular updates to your operating strategy and morganatic apps guarantee you person the latest protections against known threats. Enable automatic updates erstwhile imaginable to enactment protected without having to retrieve manual checks.

6) Download lone from authoritative app stores

Stick to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store alternatively than third-party marketplaces. While fake apps tin inactive look connected authoritative platforms, these stores person information reappraisal processes and are much responsive to removing malicious applications erstwhile they're identified. Third-party app stores often person minimal oregon nary information vetting.

7) Verify the developer earlier downloading

Check the developer sanction carefully. Official ChatGPT apps travel from OpenAI, not random developers with akin names. Look astatine the fig of downloads, work caller reviews and beryllium suspicious of apps with fewer ratings oregon reviews that look generic. Legitimate AI tools from large companies volition person verified developer badges and millions of downloads.

8) Use a information removal service

Even if you debar downloading fake apps, your idiosyncratic accusation whitethorn already beryllium circulating connected information broker sites that scammers trust on. These brokers cod and merchantability details similar your name, telephone number, location code and app usage data, accusation that cybercriminals tin usage to trade convincing phishing messages oregon impersonate you.

A trusted information removal work scans hundreds of broker databases and automatically submits removal requests connected your behalf. Regularly removing your information helps trim your integer footprint, making it harder for malicious actors and fake app networks to people you.

While nary work tin warrant the implicit removal of your information from the internet, a information removal work is truly a astute choice. They aren't cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services bash each the enactment for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your idiosyncratic accusation from hundreds of websites. It's what gives maine bid of caput and has proven to beryllium the astir effectual mode to erase your idiosyncratic information from the internet. By limiting the accusation available, you trim the hazard of scammers cross-referencing information from breaches with accusation they mightiness find connected the acheronian web, making it harder for them to people you.

Check retired my apical picks for information removal services and get a escaped scan to find retired if your idiosyncratic accusation is already retired connected the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

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Kurt's cardinal takeaway

The AI roar has driven monolithic innovation, but it has besides opened caller onslaught surfaces built connected marque trust. As adoption grows crossed mobile platforms, enterprises indispensable unafraid not lone their ain apps but besides way however their marque appears crossed hundreds of app stores worldwide. In a marketplace wherever billions of AI app downloads person happened, the clones aren't coming. They're already here, hiding down acquainted logos and polished interfaces.

Have you ever downloaded a fake AI app without realizing it? Let america cognize by penning to america at Cyberguy.com.

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