Bitcoin Forum

Be careful, Google Store has launched the IDEX Market mobile app, which is a SCAM.

Official tweet:
 (https://twitter.com/idexio/status/1283762109134909443)
More then 500 downloads already.
https://i.imgur.com/hmcKyR2.png

https://i.imgur.com/HyqH6mU.png

https://i.imgur.com/vf9gzq6.png



The IDEX 2.0 version has not yet been released; it will be available on mobile devices. You can follow it release here (https://comingsoon.idex.io/) .

These scammers are now targeting the huge exchanges and create a copy of their app. Let's report this app.
(https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9888374?hl=en&ref_topic=9876963)

Nice one, OP.

Sometimes I wonder how Google allows unverified apps to launch on its playstore. Defects like this show that playstore is becoming porous with its security and this calls for concern. I bet if this isn't tackled quickly it's going to cause a lot of users to move away from that app store. BTW, I think people should make it a thing of safety to always wait and not be too quick to swap apps or download them. For me, I always wait a few months to download any new app after making sure there aren't any scam or fraud accusations against them.

That's a nice catch OP thanks for sharing it. This is second the phishing app I seeing on play store recently I also saw a fake atomic wallet app on playstore its time like this I am glad that Apple takes a long time to give approvals to the apps.

Google playstore has very poor regulations when it comes to every apps uploaded on their platform, that’s why bad actors are always taking advantage of the loopholes. If your really not skeptic about what you download on playstore or appstore for instance you’ll get easily tricked.

Thanks for sharing this.
There is big problem that the app is still on the playstore and currently it's rating is 4 star. So definitely some people will get scammed. Playstote should be careful in such type of cases.

It's like the team from the Google Play Store when reviewing an application is not very detailed and in the end the scammer uses it to make the application as if it were official. This incident has often happened and it seems like the team from Playstore does not take it seriously in reviewing applications.

true and also this has happened a long time ago, especially in this pandemic it seems that the performance of people who work at google play store is declining like most other companies, to avoid this the only way is exchange which succumbs by reviewing applications that are on google play store and other places although this is very troublesome but it looks like this makes their potential and active users safe.

So it's Google again, with their lax regulations on apps being advertisement on their Google alert, no wonder scammers are able to get this malicious apps under their radar and with 500 downloads already, it will be just a matter of time before someone will fall and be a victims here. Again, this should be reported asap, so that it will be taken down from Google Store.

Just to be clear, it was not Google Store that has launched this, it was the criminals who used Google's platform to run this SCAM. I think this should also be moved to Scam Accusations (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?board=83.0) board for maximum exposure.

The IDEX app should be reported because if not taken down, more people will fall prey. Those scammers are targeting private keys and mnemonic phrase or keystore of gullible crypto enthusiasts. Why will people be so heartless to create a fake app in order to scam others, this is not fair at all. Before installing any app, I usually confirm if it's legit to avoid stories that touch.

It's better if we are also helping the dev to report that scam app. It looks like the scammers were creating the fake app to fool others as they were feeling difficult to scam people caused by people have become even smarter. I will also report it asap and I hope it will be removed very soon.

thanks for this informations buddy
i think all crypto believers should report this app,
so, the app will be remove from google store

Yes, scammer is taking advantage of google store to upload this app to market. We need to denounce this app as soon as possible and hope the google store staff can take it down soon, I don't want people being cheated in this market.

day by day crypto scammer that have high skill in techonology developt various techniqu to attack exchanges or anything that rellated about money. even popular twitter account attacked too, they thinking by attacking trusted account will make more people trusting and send money.

It's crazy considering how much time it takes nowadays to publish a normal app in google play store and how strict their reviews are but see this one scam app could go through easily. I must admit that google play really bad in term of reviewing apps in google playstore compared to app store. Maybe, security is not their first concern.

ofc security is thier concern . cant you see that their apps always update with the latest security patch  ? but they cant totally control the apps of other creators  but they give warnings before a user donwload and install them for potential threats  . apple on the other hand is more robust when it comes to thier standards  .  thanks for this thread  . we know that idex is popular on crypto  , if the app is scam many people wouldnt know it   and thier idex accounts can be in danger

How do we distinguish the application from official sources or not. If we search directly from Playstore there are indeed very many similar applications. But I suggest being able to visit the official site, and download based on their referral link. This method will be safer than using search.

There are a lot of shady apps in the google store and appstore, so be really careful when you want to download them to your phone. And just like what you said, we'd better go to their official website and visit the link there to download the app.

You can check the developer on the more details section and also you can get an idea with number of downloads, if it is new and have only few hundred or thousand downloads then better check the official site for more details but never use to playstore to redirect to the official websites because scammers may have cloned the official website as well with the changes they wanted to include.

Yes, it is much more secured same thing with the other wallet hackers already found a way to scam many people by using Google apps as tools I also found some one like this but they use  exodus wallet fake application.

Don't just install application you saw in the app store make sure it always came from legit source which you can only find in their website if they own it.

If that was already verified by Google Play's Play protect will that was a clear lapse on their part, Just be careful guys even a large and sophisticated app market like Google play store is not safe from the proliferation of fake app it's better to check carefully from the original party issuer to minimize the risk of being scam that might result of losing our hard earn money.    

I am very surprised that so many parties are not responsible for carrying out the fraud there are so many ways that they do by make similar applications
at the core of it all we have to be careful and thorough before installing an exchanger application on our smart phone

Scammer do everthing to manipulate people to do their requests, but the final decide not from him but from us. That's why we must always double check every piece information, make sure from an official and legit source, but even from legitimate source, we must judge whether it makes sense or not. If they offer easy money, surely it's from a scammer even if published from legitimate source

I hope Google Store staff or parties from PlayStore should immediately delete this damn application because that's it is very detrimental for beginners who just joined in this crypto world. Be careful because there are a lot of fraudulent applications related to crypto on Playstore and thank you because you for sharing this important news with everyone here. this topic is very useful.

Oh, more scammers! Scandals, intrigues, investigations!
It is even interesting to know what Google can say about this-everyone knows that unfortunately their store is still a dump. There is no content verification at all or how?

This is kind a scary actually specially for those who are lazy to check if the trading sites really created a mobile app.
Before we actually use a mobile trading app make sure that it is really from the trading team not just by random person who are using their name to scam people.
We need to learn how to search and protect our crypto don't be lazy to do it and cry out later when you lose because of your laziness.

Google store has to many scam apps actually. Google should do something with that

The most unpleasant thing is that this application was posted last month, on the second of July. And the fact that this scam was revealed quite recently. 500 downloads is quite a lot, considering that among them there can easily be clients of the exchange itself who are waiting for a mobile application. Another reminder that in the crypto world you need to check absolutely everything, several times.

It's what happened to people who don't know the importance of official websites, when it comes to wallets apps and exchange apps I will rather go through the exchange website to download the app than using Google store

Thanks for this information. If there are no mobile application officially from IDEX exchange so definitely it’s a scam apps. Google playstore regulation isn’t enough strong i think, anyone can use this store very easily. We should report it also idex teams. Over 500 download+ that menas victims will be increase.                      

The application can be cloned and this is not the first case but there were so many scam application in the playstore, i remember so many people were also getting scammed through this method too.
We need to report it and spread more awareness.

I have never used the IDEX application on PlayStore for me it's easier with its official website, indeed nowadays many scamer who keep imitating their style so that many are trapped there.

I have never used Idex, I do not use small exchanges in this market because they can be hacked at any time. BTW I have reported this app and hope moderators will remove it as soon as possible

This is why I advise people don't do serious business over your smartphone with apps. Use computer instead to be more secure and less likely to be tricked under fake apps.

I don't think so much time is being put in anymore to publish an app in Google store this days because I think this is the second thread am reading about a possible scam app on Google play store within 2 days,
if they are actually as strict as you said then such app won't find their way in the app store in the first place,
Yeah I can agree with their ^{should I call it} weakness in security,
maybe a critical look into all the various apps we have on Google play store will reveal even more similar scam app who knows.

Be careful of fake apps on Google store, google team claimed that they've uprooted all fake applications from their store but that's all those they can detect, I believe few are still on the store, it's always wiser to download apps that involve money through official source

Idex has not yet released an official version. So be careful when downloading applications on Playstore. Go immediately, and report every fake application on Playstore so that Google blocks it. This is very dangerous for those who use smartphone for trading.

Still bogged my mind how fake app like this pass the Google's publisher rule for the store. Has Google too lax on maintaining trusted apps to be available for download on their store?

I am still trying to imagine how google store would not check the authenticity f what they endorse to be published on their store.  before endorsing a thing like this, the source has to be confirmed and if it is not coming from the rightful owners of the branded name, it should not be accepted. This is why I find it hard to accept what google store presents, except there is a directly link from the owners whom i trust.

Scammers and their relentless pursuit for those to scam. This is also a very good reason to be careful of most applications on Google play store because it looks like Google play don't care nor carry out any paperwork on these apps before listing them. This is also the reason why I find it better and safer downloading any app relating to crypto directly from the project website; that is, if a project launches an app and it is on playstore, they always add a direct link of the app on their website. Scammers will keep increasing their activities while changing tactics hence everyone needs to apply caution at every point in time.
Thanks for bringing this to the notice of everyone and we hope Google store will take appropriate action towards them.

This happens way too often with successful projects and platforms with hackers and scammers looking for ways to defraud people. We have seen it happen severally and I don't think this will be the last time it happens. One has to be really careful and learn to keep your private keys safe at all times. It helps to watch carefully before downloading any app irrespective of how original it seems.

I can't see these types of scam application problems in the app store. That's how we should use all applications before using them. Actually I do check both ways to use any application. But I don't like another process which is updated, some applications will force you to update without play store confirm update version ( I found in CoinBene exchange).

I have a bad experience at IDEX exchange, when I log in at IDEX exchange using private and using the main wallet, my wallet is hacked and all the assets that I have stolen by people I don't recognize, when it happens like that it really makes me depressed and must be more vigilant when logging in at the exchange using a private key from a personal wallet.

It's too risky to use the application to trade. I never try to use this as there was a huge potential for the app that we have already downloaded it will become the scam app.
I think that you must turn on the permission for your auto-update feature to make sure it will not update automatically.

It's their sole obligation before allowing apps being added to their store, they're should be strict reviews before letting anything.

Precisely, it will assure the public that the application was safe since it was being provided by the real developers itself.

I usually double check reviews and information regarding to the owner of the app that im going to download or install, better than being victimized.

Scammers are everywhere, they are on social media and play store and almost everywhere, they can only steal from your coins if you are negligence on the security of your wallet and not updated on the latest news on what is happening around us, we have this wallet scam and just lately the Twitter hacked, scammers and hackers are really good in perpetuating their bad deeds.

I would like to know about the damage that this application has caused to users. The number of stolen private wallets and the total amount of funds on them.
And then show this data to Google so that they think what the hell they have so often scam applications appear and are not blocked for months.
Are applications not going through any moderation? We can find almost all cases of scam applications in the Google Store.

maybe now already to many the beginners have become their victims and that's what makes scammers more rampant in the crypto world. yeah, they're everywhere and we can't stop them. they will never stop perpetuate their bad deeds as long as their plans always succeed. increase alertness and always be careful of scammers in playstore or in other media.