MORE than 600million people have downloaded dodgy apps that illegally drain the wallets of their unsuspecting users.

So-called "fleeceware" apps quietly charge their users up to £70 a week once a short free-trial period is up, British experts warn in a new report.

5 'Fleeceware' apps uncovered by Sophos investigators Credit: Sophos

Dozens of the apps were uncovered by Oxfordshire cyber security firm SophosLabs on the Google Play Store for Android.

It's the second time in four months that Sophos has unearthed fleeceware apps on the Play store, which is used by an estimated 2.5billion people worldwide.

"Fleeceware remains a problem on Google Play," researcher Jagadeesh Chandraiah wrote in a blog post this week.

"Android users still run the risk of being charged hundreds of dollars or euros for 'subscriptions' to apps."

5 The dodgy apps charge up to £53 a week for their services Credit: Sophos

Fleeceware apps abuse the trial period that Android apps can run before charging users.

Apps are often poorly made and don't work properly, while the services they offer rack up huge bills despite being available far cheaper or for free elsewhere.

SophosLabs found more than 20 apps they deemed to be fleecing users.

In total, the apps have been downloaded more than 600million times, according to Google Play figures.

5 Developers appear to use fake reviews to boost their rankings in Google Play Store searches Credit: Sophos

One, dubbed Fortunemirror, advertises a daily horoscope service that let you try it for free for three days.

Users plug in their payment data to access the trial. After it ends, they're charged £54 a week, or around £2,800 a year.

Victims often agree to these subscriptions without realising the consequences and in reviews on the Play store report struggling to obtain a refund.

Some unhappy consumers claim they even followed the subscription model’s rules to unsubscribe, and were charged anyway.

Fleeceware apps – the full list Here are the dodgy apps uncovered by researchers Astrofun

Easysnap

VCUT

Face X Play

Fortunemirror

Filmigo

GO Keyboard

GO Keyboard Lite

GO SMS Pro

GO Recorder

GO Security

Z Camera

Master Recorder

S Photo Editor

Wonder Video

Clipvue

Filmix

Photo Recovery & Video Recovery

ScreenRecorder

V Recorder





"This business model can cause significant harm to users, and there's little recourse," Sophos notes its report.

"The Google Play Store policies are significantly less consumer-friendly than US credit card policies.

"Those who have managed to get refunds have been able to obtain them only with great difficulty."

To trick victims into downloading the apps, developers often plant fake reviews and manipulate download counts on Google Play, researchers found.

5 Dodgy apps that fleece unsuspecting users have been discovered on the Google Play Store Credit: Reuters

This boosts their store ranking, meaning they appear higher up in search results.

Sophos recommended users read everything on the free-trial prompts shown by apps before agreeing to a paid subscription.

Google has yet to remove any of the offending apps following Sophos' report.

The Sun has reached out to the search giant for comment.

5 Developers use sinister tactics to lure in unsuspecting victims Credit: Getty - Contributor

Experts argued that Google should take more responsibility for thieving apps on its services.

"Fleeceware’s deceptive practices border on fraud and violate a wide spectrum of consumer protection laws in most of the Western countries," said Ilia Kolochenko, founder and CEO of web security company ImmuniWeb.

"To avoid falling victim to the fraudsters, users should consider using a dedicated credit card with a small limit for buying apps, and carefully monitor charges and immediately report violations to Google, law enforcement agencies and consumer protection organisations.

"Google Store should likewise consider to urgently introduce a better app policing mechanism, to detect and block such applications.

"Otherwise, one day they risk becoming a defendant in a multi-million class action lawsuit."

How to unlock hidden puzzles on Android 10 update

TOP STORIES IN TECH NEXT TOP MODEL PS5 sold out almost EVERYWHERE – here's where you might still get one today TAP TIPS Apple's update just gave your iPhone a new 'button' – and it'll make life easier WIDGET WONDER iPhone iOS 14 update TODAY lets you put widgets on home screen – here’s how I-SNOOP Look out for this orange dot on your iPhone – someone is listening in Revealed CLIP SLIP Surge in 'posh porn' as fans pay THOUSANDS for clips – shunning free videos STOCK SHOCK Will there be more PS5 pre-orders? Sony's latest console sells out in minutes

In other news, iPhones have been ‘silently hacked for years’ giving crooks access to photos, texts and live locations, according to Google.

Leaked Google sketches have revealed a secret ‘spy watch’ with a camerahidden under screen.

And, here's all the Gmail tricks you should know about.

Have you noticed any problems with your phone apps? Let us know in the comments...

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at tech@the-sun.co.uk