After Chrome, we now have a WhatsApp dupe on the Play Store with 500,000+ downloads

Imposter apps are getting to be an issue on the Play Store. Earlier this week, we reported on a fake Google Chrome app that had racked up more than 100,000 downloads before being delisted. Today, we’re taking a look at a fraudulent version of WhatsApp that, as of publication, still hasn’t been removed from Android’s app marketplace.

As shared by user 2ne1cheese on the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit, a lookalike listing for WhatsApp is showing up in the sponsored results section of searches for the genuine article. This fake version of the app has apparently been downloaded half a million times, according to the Play Store.

The fraudulent listing was published under the developer name Agment Assets sallu. It’s the only app currently available from that account. The page for “WhatsApp” mimics the real deal down to the letter, using screenshots and description text pulled from the official WhatsApp listing. According to the Play Store, the lookalike listing was published last month and has since racked up more than 500,000 downloads — an outrageous number for a fake app listing, but still a far cry from the official WhatsApp’s 10 billion-plus downloads.

While the fake WhatsApp listing is apparently appearing as a sponsored result for some users’ searches, it’s worth noting that’s not universal; when I search the Play Store for “WhatsApp” on mobile or the web, the top result is the official client.

It appears “WhatsApp” has been exploiting Google Play’s Early Access program. As Bitdefender has recently pointed out, Early Access disables public user reviews of participating apps, which can make it harder for users to distinguish a fake listing from a real one. Still, it’s baffling this one has eluded Google Play’s security for more than a month.

You can see the fake WhatsApp listing here — just be sure not to download it.