WARNING- Android Market - The Battery Supercharger

[Deleted User] · 13/12/11 - 17:24

Do NOT install this app.

It's an SMS scam. You are automatically subscribed to useless SMS premium rate text services. Cost me over £10 before I realised.

Already complained to Android Market TWICE. Once on my phone the other via PC just to be sure.

paulbrock · 13/12/11 - 17:46

"Android Police" (news site) are apparently good at forwarding this stuff to the right people; and getting their fans to downvote it to death in the meantime.

Lesson to be learnt - consider if a battery monitoring app needs permission to send texts; it does spell these out when you install it.

Also, in b4 : would never happen on Apple blah blah.

Thine Wonk · 13/12/11 - 17:46

Thanks for the warning.

[Deleted User] · 13/12/11 - 17:56

paulbrock wrote: »

"Android Police" (news site) are apparently good at forwarding this stuff to the right people; and getting their fans to downvote it to death in the meantime.

Lesson to be learnt - consider if a battery monitoring app needs permission to send texts; it does spell these out when you install it.

Also, in b4 : would never happen on Apple blah blah.

Have you had experience of it ? Yeah but who reads all the system requirements b4 installing an app.

I'll be more careful. Just didn't realise an app could send a text as ME ! One of the reviewers of the app says it's a scam on Market. Why is it still there ? Surely it should have been pulled & investigated.

Put me off apps a bit even though I've bought a few ( especially the 10p ones at the mo).

paulbrock · 13/12/11 - 18:00

A quick skim. Certainly 'sending and making calls/texts' is an unusual permission for an app to ask for, unless it's particularly a call making app (there's one that routes 0800 numbers through another number so you can use them as part of their inclusive minutes). Market definitely needs to be quicker at removing them though

LTT · 13/12/11 - 18:25

jockeymaster wrote: »

Have you had experience of it ? Yeah but who reads all the system requirements b4 installing an app.

I'll be more careful. Just didn't realise an app could send a text as ME ! One of the reviewers of the app says it's a scam on Market. Why is it still there ? Surely it should have been pulled & investigated.

Put me off apps a bit even though I've bought a few ( especially the 10p ones at the mo).

Yes but on android you have to read the permissions before you install and use some common sense. There is a lot of bad press about the Android market but nine times out of ten installing bad or rogue apps can be prevented by: installing apps by known/popular developers, apps that have a big number of downloads or have been out a while, reading reviews on the market before installing, and checking permissions are sensible for what the app does.
Not to say these safeguards will completely prevent you getting hit but they will certainly minimise the risks.

A battery app wanting to send text messages would've sent alarm bells ringing to me. However, I do have sympathy with you and hopefully the fact you've reported it it will be removed ASAP.

EDIT: Looking at the permissions on the market - it's not just the sms permissions it needed but also contacts and logs! That really would have rang alarm bells with me. i know sometimes apps need permissions which look dodgy (location, internet access) but which are explained to be for innocent reasons in the description (e.g. ads in free apps) - this didn't even explain them in the description!

alanwarwic · 13/12/11 - 18:51

Yes, ALWAYS CHECK PERMISSION LIST before installing.

My policy is if they ask for phone call access or anything such like I never install.
It would also help if Google gave a second install warning for this. Likewise with in-app purchases.

freeview_user · 13/12/11 - 19:00

It's been removed now

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.androidupgrade.batterysc

Update: I found the wrong App

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.supercharger.sc&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5zdXBlcmNoYXJnZXIuc2MiXQ..

koantemplation · 13/12/11 - 19:06

freeview_user wrote: »

It's been removed now

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.androidupgrade.batterysc

Update: I found the wrong App

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.supercharger.sc&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5zdXBlcmNoYXJnZXIuc2MiXQ..

I wonder how much they made before it got pulled?

I always install onto my tablet first as it doesn't have phone access.

freeview_user · 13/12/11 - 19:07

I have reported it...

12december1984 · 13/12/11 - 19:07

I'm surprised Google/Android even allow this sort of app in their Marketplace.

freeview_user · 13/12/11 - 19:08

koantemplation wrote: »

I wonder how much they made before it got pulled?

I always install onto my tablet first as it doesn't have phone access.

It didn't get pulled it's still there now

http://market.android.com/details?id=com.supercharger.sc

[Deleted User] · 13/12/11 - 22:00

Thanks for the tips everyone's. I was nieve in thinking that everything on Market was "safe".

I agree about apps that require texts BUT I have an app called Viber that you have to subh scribe by sending a text to register. Free Voip phone calls.

Off topic but is there an app for Digital Spy ?

Tweeted to @Android & @AndroidDev too. Hope my tweets get through to all the Followers that would be about 300000 people or does it just go them alone ?

[Deleted User] · 14/12/11 - 13:08

Just had a reply from Market saying that i'd filled in the wrong form. Despite the fact that I clicked on Inappropriate app link for this app on Market itself. The real URL is :

http://support.google.com/androidmarket/bin/request.py?hl=en&contact_type=takedown

According to the EMail reply. Like the contact_type=takedown. Sounds right !

App has more that 1000 downloads so that's at least another 999 mugs like me. Either way they gotcha because even if you realise right away & send a STOP text that costs 10p too even though I'm on free texts. Like me if you don't realise & get the "Tips" @ £2 each or the "Newsletter" @ £4 they can't lose.

Filled the form in. If anyone can spare 5 mins to do same the more complaints they get they'll have to pull it.

[Deleted User] · 15/12/11 - 09:43

What makes the Android Market so good is that to publish on it you only need a $25 license and you're ready to go. That also makes it bad, as anyone can publish anything without permission. Google are usually quite good at removing malicious apps, but sadly there are too many sick people out there trying to make a quick buck at other people's expense for them to catch them all.

Personally, I think Google would do well to introduce a "premium" market where all apps are vetted and tested for compatibility before being allowed on, so there is the normal market for all your small dev projects, and the premium market for trusted apps. Although I can see why they wouldn't want to go down this route. They have already introduced the trusted developer program, so if you're concerned about malware then I'd suggest only getting things from devs with the little blue logo.

CreativeLoss · 15/12/11 - 09:58

paulbrock wrote: »

"Android Police" (news site) are apparently good at forwarding this stuff to the right people; and getting their fans to downvote it to death in the meantime.

Lesson to be learnt - consider if a battery monitoring app needs permission to send texts; it does spell these out when you install it.

Also, in b4 : would never happen on Apple blah blah.

Well it wouldn't. (but nor does it automatically mean Android is crap)

alanwarwic · 15/12/11 - 09:58

Google could do with a secondary warning that 'SMS send permissions' mean the APP can cost you money. There is almost no need for any APP to request this so if the user misses the first warning a second is very useful.

Opera has a mobile APP store so I installed the 'free 101 games'. It turned out you got $50,000 with each game play costing $30,000. Suffice to say I never even played one game.

grumpyoldbat · 15/12/11 - 10:03

alanwarwic wrote: »

Google could do with a secondary warning that 'SMS send permissions' mean the APP can cost you money. There is almost no need for any APP to request this so if the user misses the first warning a second is very useful.

Opera has a mobile APP store so I installed the 'free 101 games'. It turned out you got $50,000 with each game play costing $30,000. Suffice to say I never even played one game.

It's not a warning per se. Every app you install gives you a list of requested permissions that the app needs to function. Users need to behave responsibly and pay attention to this stuff otherwise they're going to get scammed left right and centre. If they can't be bothered to protect themselves in this way, then maybe they shouldn't get an Android phone.

I do think that phone providers, Google, and the various Android focussed websites should spend a bit more time making this clear to the less tech savvy punters though!

BrianWescombe · 15/12/11 - 10:15

Having recently got my first Android phone (Samsung Galaxy S2), I have realised that although there are thousands of apps available on the Market, many of them are scams/dodgy/spammy things. As the phone comes with many of the things I'm ever likely to use, I don't tend to bother getting apps. The few I did get are paid apps (no ads) and don't require strange permissions, or things like the Sky Remote Record which is useful.

Being quite PC/tech savvy is useful but unfortunately many people will fall for these scams. Google should protect their users more.

paulbrock · 15/12/11 - 11:41

To be honest, I rarely just rely on something 'being in the market'. Almost everything I download is either 'featured' in Market,making one of the top x lists on there, or recommended by someone, if only on DS, but more likely a "this weeks hottest new apps" list on a techy site. Otherwise what would I know to search for?

Stiggles · 15/12/11 - 12:44

Jesus, still cant believe this hasn't been taken down yet!!

nvingo · 15/12/11 - 17:04

I'm guessing if you have PAYG with a minutes, texts and 3G bundle but no £credit, these premium rate scams cannot work?

Rowey · 15/12/11 - 17:13

This has come as quite a shock to me I just presumed all apps were checked by google before they were allowed on the market place.

How awful, this means all-sorts of nastiness can be taking place on your mobile via malicious apps.

[Deleted User] · 16/12/11 - 14:44

Its seems that "The Battery Supercharger" has now been removed from Android Market BUT ....

Two "clones" of it has now been put on -- they have the same logo, but by different developers & slightly diffferent names. Google MUST introduce some sort of quality control on this otherwise it's too easy for scammers to "re-brand" their scam as a different product.

Even PAYG phones would be affected by this. Say you has £6 credit on your phone & you received a £2 premium text. Guess what ? You now have £4 credit on your phone.

I have reported this again to Android Market but I can't help feeling I'm sticking my finger in a dyke. Still livid at how I was scammed & trying to stop anyone else from falling for these "dirty tricks".

If this continues then consumers will lose confidance in Android Market & rightly so. Then Google's multi-billion pound baby won't be worth as hill of beans.

[Deleted User] · 16/12/11 - 16:39

The two clones are called:

Battery Booster SuperCharger
Developer App Dogs

The Battery Saver SuperCharger
Developer Pen Marker

They haven't even bothered to change the log from the original, scam:

Battery Superchargers Logo

Had to join up for a photobucket account so you can all see what these toe rags are all about.

[Deleted User] · 16/12/11 - 17:10

I was going to write a tasty review on Android Market for these 2 new clones, but I can't do that without installing them..

NO THANKS !

Hey there!

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WARNING- Android Market - The Battery Supercharger

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