Some apps generating fake ad views, slowing down phones, new study says

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The I-Team has an alert about apps that could drain battery or put personal information at risk.

A new cybersecurity study found some apps were generating fake ad views and slowing down phones.

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An app can look like an innocent emoji maker, QR scanner or storage cleaner.

But cybersecurity researchers say a recent discovery about some apps is a reminder to all smartphone users to think before they download

Cybersecurity company Check Point says it found 15 suspicious apps on Google Play that looked legitimate. The apps would generate phony ad views within the app to make money, but no one would ever really see those ads.

"Hidden adware that was disguised as very simple utility apps, specifically on the Android mobile operating system: make your own emoji apps, free up storage," said Tony Sabaj, with Check Point.

Check Point says those apps racked up millions of downloads, mostly to people in parts of Asia. But experts say this is a reminder to all smartphone users because suspicious apps like this can create chaos on your phone.

"A slowdown in the performance of their phone, massive battery drain and had the potential to get access, to get information on the phone itself," Sabaj said.

That's because on almost any app you download, you might be giving permission to the app to access much of your phone's information.

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"These apps have been removed by Google, but there is nothing stopping people from continuing to do this," Sabaj said.

"User safety is a top priority. These identified apps were removed from the Google Play and Google Play Protect-Android's built-in malware defense, which is on by default-automatically disables these apps to protect users," Google told the I-Team.

Google says no action is needed by users.

Experts say you should monitor activity no matter what kind of phone you have.

Check battery usage.

If a simple app is using more power than your browser or streaming apps, that's a red flag.

Review permissions: Ask yourself, does an emoji maker really need access to items like contacts and files?

Watch for "blank notifications." If apps are persistently running, you may see them.

Check Point says the apps in question would run those blank notifications to get around rules set by Google Play.

Delete any suspicious apps on your phone and avoid getting apps from other sources. Stick to official app stores whenever possible.