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A recent investigation by McAfee revealed the existence of 15 SpyLoan applications on Google Play, which have collectively received over 8 million installs, primarily targeting users in South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. These apps were removed from the Play Store following their discovery, but they highlight ongoing challenges in addressing digital threats. The last significant cleanup of similar SpyLoan applications occurred in December 2023, when over a dozen apps with 12 million downloads were taken down. SpyLoan applications pose as legitimate financial tools, offering misleading loan approvals and coercing users to provide sensitive personal information after validating their identity through a one-time password. They exploit device permissions to access extensive sensitive information, including contact lists, SMS messages, and location data, which are used in extortion schemes. Users who secure loans often face high-interest repayments and harassment from operators, with some scammers contacting borrowers' family members for further pressure. The eight most popular SpyLoan applications include: - Préstamo Seguro-Rápido, Seguro - 1,000,000 downloads (Mexico) - Préstamo Rápido-Credit Easy - 1,000,000 downloads (Colombia) - ได้บาทง่ายๆ-สินเชื่อด่วน - 1,000,000 downloads (Senegal) - RupiahKilat-Dana cair - 1,000,000 downloads (Senegal) - ยืมอย่างมีความสุข – เงินกู้ - 1,000,000 downloads (Thailand) - เงินมีความสุข – สินเชื่อด่วน - 1,000,000 downloads (Thailand) - KreditKu-Uang Online - 500,000 downloads (Indonesia) - Dana Kilat-Pinjaman kecil - 500,000 downloads (Indonesia) Despite Google's app review mechanisms, SpyLoan applications continue to evade detection. Users are advised to read reviews, check the developer's reputation, limit app permissions, and activate Google Play Protect to mitigate risks.