Google has introduced an Early Access program for Google Play that lets developers list unfinished apps for testing and feedback. The program may help smaller developers find problems, but Bitdefender warns that the absence of public reviews and ratings can also help malicious apps appear legitimate.
On the regular Play Store, star ratings and user reviews give people at least some way to assess whether an app seems trustworthy. Early Access removes those public checks entirely, and victims of fake apps have no way to warn other users through public reviews.
Bitdefender found casino apps promoted through sponsored Facebook and TikTok videos that used celebrity deepfakes, including images of Cristiano Ronaldo, Jason Statham, and Andrew Tate. Some apps offered financial incentives, while others copied well-known software or used screenshots from Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto VI to attract downloads.
Scam listings are sometimes deleted and replaced with identical copies offering the same malicious functions. Bitdefender said some illegitimate apps had been downloaded thousands of times, while many remained available through Google Play Early Access. The company also found repeated listings for utilities such as QR code scanners and PDF readers.
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