Over 1million People Downloaded Fake WhatsApp With Virus

In recent times, we have seen apps cloned to appear and function like the original WhatsApp leading to multiple downloads from unsuspecting individuals globally. In fact, over 1million people has downloaded the fake whatsapp which pops ads and injects viruses on phones where it's installed. So if your phone has been misbehaving recently, you should check well if you have installed the fake version of the app.

HOW IT WORKS
The app pretends to be an update of WhatsApp and to make it more confusing, it was available on Google play store before it was removed by Google.

The name of the app is "Update WhatsApp Messenger". It disguised itself as if it was developed by the real company that owns the program, "WhatsApp Inc.".

This malicious app was discovered and exposed by some users on popular site Reddit, who after checking the source code, noticed that the fake version used a special, invisible character at the end of the developer's name, so to appear identical to the legitimate one to the average user's eye.

Also, according to Reddit users, the app displayed ads, and can install apps on victims phone without their consent.

Well, the good news is that those who frequently received updates from the official WhatsApp app are not likely to be affected.
Sources: 1, 2.