APPLE has confirmed that 17 applications have been removed from the App Store after they were found to be secretly committing fraud behind users’ backs to quietly collect advertising revenue from their smartphones. Here’s which apps were called out, so you can immediately delete any that are still sitting pretty on your iOS home screen.

The warning comes just hours after Android users were cautioned to delete a number of malicious apps from Google’s rival Play Store. mobile security firm Wandera sniffed-out the malicious software made available for iPhone owners worldwide .for users, it would be almost impossible to tell that anything was wrong, since the apps did exactly what they were secretly fraud in the background on your iPhone too

“The objective of most clicker trojans is to generate revenue for the attacker on a pay-per-click basis by inflating website traffic. They can also be used to drain the budget of a competitor by artificially inflating the balance owed to the ad network,” the security firm explains.

Although the apps weren’t designed to cause any direct harm to users or their smartphones themselves, the nefarious behind-the-scenes activity would drain mobile data faster than usual, so if you’re not on an unlimited 4G plan – it would cost you each month. Secondly, the activity from the apps could also cost you precious battery life, as well as slowing down your phone, since it’s having to process all the extra ad requests.

So, deleting the software could see a drop in any additional monthly charges from your network provider, faster performance, as well as a few more hours of battery life, which are all pretty substantial benefits.

The malicious apps in question – check your iPhone for these (Image: WANDERA)

The full list of infected apps:

  • RTO Vehicle Information
  • EMI Calculator & Loan Planner
  • File Manager – Documents
  • Smart GPS Speedometer
  • CrickOne – Live Cricket Scores
  • Daily Fitness – Yoga Poses
  • FM Radio – Internet Radio
  • My Train Info – IRCTC & PNR (not listed under developer profile)
  • Around Me Place Finder
  • Easy Contacts Backup Manager
  • Ramadan Times 2019
  • Restaurant Finder – Find Food
  • BMI Calculator – BMR Calc
  • Dual Accounts
  • Video Editor – Mute Video
  • Islamic World – Qibla
  • Smart Video Compressor

All 17 infected apps are published on the App Stores in various countries by the same developer, India-based AppAspect Technologies Pvt. Ltd.