Fake Minecraft: Pocket Edition Could Hack Your Phone

PC Magazine reported that security firm F-Secure has issued a security alert stating that a fake Minecraft version has been scamming Android gamers.

Specifically, the unofficial version of the Minecraft app can hack your phone and send costly premium-rate messages from your account.

F-Secure explained that the fake app includes the real Minecraft game app,

“but it has one added permission: android.permission.SEND_SMS and the payment system has been ‘enhanced.’”

Basically, the app can send texts on your behalf to premium-rate numbers, having the potential to rack up bills.

F-Secure stressed that Mojang’s valid code does include measures to protect against this kind of activity, but that the hackers have skirted around them.

“The original Minecraft includes a check inside the dex code that verifies the signature that has been used to sign the APK,” they explained. “If it’s not [Mojang’s], the code refuses to run.”

In addition, the scammer version includes failsafes to bypass these measures.

Have you run into any scamming trouble for your Minecraft mobile?