Police warn of fake 'Pokemon Go' apps

SEOUL, July 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korean cyber police are on alert as bogus "Pokemon Go" applications targeting Android phone users have been spotted abroad amid the game's global craze, although such malicious code has yet to be found in the country.

According to the National Police Agency on Wednesday, some 1.03 million domestic Android phone users have downloaded the "Pokemon Go" application thus far.

The problem is that more than a few people wishing to play the game are believed to have downloaded the app from illegitimate app stores as the country is not included in the game's service region, but some of its northeastern areas are available to the game.

"Such (fake) apps are feared to contain malicious code that lures users into subscribing to unnecessary services or can take over their phones," police said.

To avoid such malware, gamers should not download suspicious apps, and should not open suspicious emails or attached files, police said.

"Any damage from 'Pokemon Go' malware has yet to be reported in the country, and yet 'Pokemon Go' users need to pay special heed to the possibility of being infected with viruses," police said, adding they, along with cybersecurity agencies, will closely watch the possible spread of "Pokemon Go" malware in the country.

The first "Pokemon Go" malware, including "Pokemon Go Ultimate," "Guide & Cheats for Pokemon Go" and "Install Pokemon," were found on Google Play earlier this month, and Google removed them upon spotting them.
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