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A counterfeit app is an application that is not legitimate in its origin or purpose. A counterfeit app does not provide the services that it is advertised to provide, and may even harm a user's device or compromise his or her data.
A counterfeit app is also known as a fake app.
Counterfeit apps can be found on most marketplaces, including Apple's App Store and Android's Google Play platforms. Counterfeit apps can be created in many different ways to harm users. Some counterfeit apps will secretly surveil users. Some have been used in coinjacking, where the counterfeit app operator uses the customer's device to mine for bitcoin or other cryptocurrency in the background. Some counterfeit apps introduce malware or try to affect a data breach in a user system. Counterfeit apps are a big problem, and the security community is always looking at how to root these illegitimate applications out from Apple and Android stores as well as other venues.