Delete these 13 ‘Joker’ apps from your Android phone now that can spy on you, steal your cash, and read your texts

A GROUP of Android apps are actually containers for the dangerous Joker malware, which can steal one-time login codes from your messages or subscribe you to costly services without your consent.

Apps infected with the Trojan malware have been removed from the Google Play Store, but some Android users may still have the apps installed and posing a danger.

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Tatyana Shishkova, an Android malware analyst at Kapersky, shared a number of apps to uninstall on Twitter.

Some of the apps are hosts for the Joker malware, while others have similar malware that can steal personal information and authorize costly purchases.

According to Tatyana, the below apps act as a backdoor for malware that puts Android users at risk:

• Battery Charging Animations Battery Wallpaper
• Battery Charging Animations Bubble Effects
• Classic Emoji Keyboard
• Dazzling Keyboard
• Easy PDF Scanner
• EmojiOne Keyboard
• Flashlight Flash Alert On Call
• Halloween Coloring
• Now QRcode Scan
• Smart TV remote
• Super Hero-Effect
• Volume Booster Hearing Aid
• Volume Booster Louder Sound Equalizer

The first thing to do is delete any of the infected apps as quickly as possible and run an anti-virus scan.

Then, keep an eye out for other symptoms of malware.

For example, if apps are crashing for seemingly no reason, your phone could be infected.

Also, if there is a sudden spike in your data or battery usage, it could be that malware is running background tasks on your device.

Check to make sure none of your friends have received mysterious messages from you, especially with strange links.

Malware can use your phone to send messages to people in your contacts list, and further infect your network.

Your best options for protection: installing strong antivirus software and doing regular security checks, and making sure you’re always on the latest operating system.

Use a privacy-focused browser and make sure your security settings are locked down tight to prevent malware from infecting your phone from seemingly innocuous websites.

This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk