Google is refunding users who unsuspectingly bought a fake anti-virus app from its Play Store. The Virus Shield app reached the number one ranking in the Play Store with over 10,000 downloads before it was removed. The fake app was uncovered by news site Android Police, which looked at the app’s code and discovered it did nothing.
As well as a full refund, users are being given credit to spend in the Play Store. The app claimed to "prevent harmful apps from being installed on your device". But when Android Police tested the app, it discovered that when a user tapped on an icon to activate the "virus shield" all that happened was a new icon was displayed.
After the story was published, the fake app was removed from the Play Store. It had first appeared on the site on 28 March and was taken down on 6 April.
Google emailed users who had purchased the app, which cost $3.99 (£2.35), offering a full refund.