After a Chrome clone was spotted on the Play Store earlier this week, a Reddit user says he’s seeing a fake version of WhatsApp in a “sponsored” space on top of the real version. As previously reported by Android AuthorityThe WhatsApp hoax has racked up over 500,000 downloads and, as of this writing, its Play Store listing is still active.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The WhatsApp clone is from a developer called “Agment Assets sallu” who currently has nothing else on the Play Store. Their WhatsApp impostor listing has the same icon, screenshots, and text as the real version, but the real WhatsApp has over 10 billion downloads, an “Editor’s Choice” badge, and over 246 million reviews. Android Authority points out that the WhatsApp clone may be using Google Play’s early access program to disable public user reviews, which could have helped users warn people not to download the app.
