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One in 25 Black Friday-themed apps are fake, cybersecurity company says

Posted at 2:54 PM, Nov 17, 2017
and last updated 2018-11-21 17:46:35-05

One of every 25 Black Friday apps is a fake that is designed to steal credit card information according to cybersecurity company RiskIQ.

According to the firm, the phony apps use popular brand logos and identities to steal shoppers' credit card information. Some of the apps are designed to download malware onto the users' phone.

In order to avoid cybersecurity scams, experts recommend users only download apps from Google Play or the Apple App Store.

The phony apps can show up in Google Play or the App store, but it's a lot less likely.

Experts also recommend that users not download apps that ask permission to access contacts, text messages, store passwords or credit cards.

Finally, experts suggest shoppers click through and read about the app's developer before downloading the program. If the developer uses poor grammar, spelling or has a buggy appearance, it could be a scam.

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