BBB Tip of the Week

With the thousands of apps available for mobile devices, the Better Business Bureau shares the following signs that you’ve downloaded an app that is actually malware:

• The app sends emails or text messages that you didn’t write.

• The app installs other apps that you didn’t download.

• Your data usage spikes considerably after downloading the app.

In a fast-moving, technology-filled world, slowing down to review and research mobile apps can save you money and a lot of headaches.

The BBB offers the following advice for staying safe with mobile apps:

• Don’t just rely on the rating. Read the reviews within the app store for user experiences.

• Check out the app publisher. Some apps have look-alike titles to confuse users into downloading. Some app descriptions will draw comparisons to other popular apps, but that doesn’t mean both were created by the same publisher.

• Check for misspellings, bad punctuation and sentence fragments in the app description. Scammers often have poor grammar skills.

• Read the permissions for the app. Even useful apps will sometimes have permissions they don’t really need in order to operate.

• Free apps often have ads and in-app purchases. Consider turning off or restricting in-app purchases to avoid surprises.

For new apps or when you are still uncertain, do an online search for articles from experts. Hackers create apps that hop on a trend and exploit it, while legitimate apps that perform as advertised will rise to the top in “best of” articles.

Use common sense. An app won’t make your phone an x-ray machine, a lie detector, a baby-cry translator or a “hottie” detector.

If available, download and use a reliable anti-virus app for your phone. Take all the same precautions when choosing to download an anti-virus app as you would for any other app.

Update apps when prompted. Updates often fix security issues to prevent hackers from accessing your phone through vulnerabilities.

Learn more about keeping kids safe while online, including when using mobile apps, at http://1.usa.gov/1F5LXjF.

You can report malicious mobile apps to the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov and to BBB at http://go.bbb.org/scam or by calling (509) 455-4200.

By Erin T. Dodge, BBB editor