Delete these nine apps from your smartphone now
This is where mobile applications come into play. Our smartphones are brimming with them, with nearly two million on Apple's App Store and almost three million on Google's Play Store - all readily available and easily accessible.
It's often said that your average person has around 100 apps downloaded. Of course, there are the usual social media platforms like X/Twitter, Facebook and Reddit, then you have news apps like The Mirror US' very own app available on all devices, plus dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, games like Clash of Clans, and many more.
We're constantly urged by all the big mobile and security companies to only download applications from the official stores, but it turns out even that isn't guaranteed to keep you 100 per cent safe.
Researchers at Cyble have uncovered a range of apps that had fooled their way onto the Play Store by imitating the names or icons of legitimate digital wallets, reports the Mirror US.
Once these apps are installed onto your mobile device, they open a phishing website or an in-app WebView where they request mnemonic phrases that can be used to completely empty your wallet.
Cyble found more than 20 different apps targeting crypto wallet users by impersonating well-known wallets like SushiSwap, PancakeSwap, Hyperliquid and Raydium.
A total of nine wallets are currently being cloned, sparking fears that this could escalate and impact even more individuals.
The Mirror US advises deleting particular apps immediately if found on your smartphone – make sure Google's Play Protect is activated to keep your device secure.
Cybersecurity firm Cyble cautions: "[These apps] employ phishing techniques to steal users' mnemonic phrases, which are then used to access real wallets and drain cryptocurrency funds."
They add, "They have been progressively discovered over recent weeks, reflecting an ongoing and active campaign."
All newly identified rogue apps are reported to Google, who is actively working to eradicate them from the PlayStore.
The Mirror US has approached Google for an official statement on these security concerns and awaits their response.
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