The apps, supplied by geegyboy, “entice the user with a favourite product, then pop surveys on the mobile device”, explained GFI in a blog.
The dodgy apps are Invite Me, Get Pinterest Invited, Angry Birds Money, Pinterest Money, Halo 4, WWE 12, iTunes Gift Cards, NBA 12, Star Wars, iPad Theme, Win Free iPad, Fast Food Gift Cards, Walmart Offers, Xbox Connect, Best Buy Gift Card, Asphalt Money, Watch Free Movie, Android to iPad, Cashbackdeals, and Justin Bieber.
For the Invite Me app, for example, the user is asked for an email address to obtain a Pinterest invite, but the app says that the manual processing may “take a little time”, the blog explained.
Users can speed things up by completing various advertising offers, such as applying for a Netflix membership, a Capital One credit card, or to download certain free games. “Offers accomplished are then translated to ‘points’, so the more offers users complete, the more ‘points’ they gain. The more ‘points’, the faster they’ll receive the Pinterest invite", the blog related.
In fact, you do not need a Pinterest invitation. You go the Pinterest site and sign up.
The GFI researchers advise smartphone users: “Check the app’s basic details in the Overview tab of it’s page. If it offers freebies in exchange for filling in a survey or giving them your email address (much like the apps listed above), it is highly likely what you have there is a fake app. If an app may seem suspicious to you, try researching more about it or ask someone who you think might help you in finding out what that app really does.”