--- title: The real price to pay for free clones of popular applications description: "We have analyzed free copies of the most popular applications of the moment: ransomware, trojan, banker... Here is a panel of clones to avoid downloading." image: https://blog.pradeo.com/hubfs/monopoly.png --- [![pradeo_logo_color](https://blog.pradeo.com/hs-fs/hubfs/pradeo_logo_color.png?width=220&height=33&name=pradeo_logo_color.png "pradeo_logo_color")](https://pradeo.com) - Solutions - [Mobile Threat Defense](https://pradeo.com/en/solutions/mobile-device-security/mobile-threat-defense/) - [Secure Private Store](https://pradeo.com/en/solutions/mobile-device-security/secure-private-store/) - [Mobile Application Compliance Audit](https://pradeo.com/en/solutions/mobile-application-security/application-compliance-audit/) - [Runtime Application Self Protection](https://pradeo.com/en/solutions/mobile-application-security/rasp/) - [Shielding](https://pradeo.com/en/solutions/mobile-application-security/application-shielding/) - [Application Security Testing](https://pradeo.com/en/solutions/mobile-application-security/application-security-testing/) - Use cases - [Cybersecurity in MDM/ UEM](https://pradeo.com/en/use-cases/cybersecurity-in-mdm-uem/) - [Securing mobile devices](https://pradeo.com/en/solutions/mobile-device-security/mobile-threat-defense/) - [Securing Mobile Applications](https://pradeo.com/en/solutions/mobile-application-security/application-security-testing/) - [Malware / leakware protection](https://pradeo.com/en/solutions/mobile-device-security/mobile-threat-defense/) - [Phishing protection](https://pradeo.com/en/solutions/mobile-device-security/mobile-threat-defense/) - [Ensuring compliance for applications](https://pradeo.com/en/compliance/) - [Ensuring compliance for mobile fleet](https://pradeo.com/en/compliance/) - [Securing BYOD](https://pradeo.com/en/solutions/mobile-device-security/secure-private-store/) - [Become partner](https://pradeo.com/become-partner/) - Resources - [Solution briefs](https://pradeo.com/en/resources/?solution-briefs) - [Customer Cases](https://pradeo.com/en/resources/?customer-cases) - [Integration briefs](https://pradeo.com/en/resources/?integration-briefs) - [White Papers](https://pradeo.com/en/resources/?white-papers) - [Analyst reports & guides](https://pradeo.com/en/resources/?analyst-reports-guides) - [On demand webcast](https://pradeo.com/en/resources/?webcasts-on-demand) - [About us](https://pradeo.com/en/about/) - [Blog](https://blog.pradeo.com/) - [Contact](https://pradeo.com/contact/) - en - [**FR**](https://blog.pradeo.com/fr) - [**DE**](https://blog.pradeo.com/de) ### Topics - Select a Topic ### Stay up to date SUBSCRIBE TO OUR BLOG ### Stay up to date [Security Alert](https://blog.pradeo.com/topic/security-alert) # The real price to pay for free clones of popular applications ![Picture of Roxane Suau](https://blog.pradeo.com/hubfs/roxane-suau.jpg) By [Roxane Suau](https://blog.pradeo.com/author/roxane-suau) on March, 23 2017 [mailto:?subject=Take%20a%20look%20at%20this%20article](mailto:?subject=Take%20a%20look%20at%20this%20article) ![](https://blog.pradeo.com/hubfs/monopoly.png)   **“This app that everyone is speaking of seems awesome, but I have to pay for it… We should be able to download it for free somewhere?!”** Indeed, no need to search for a long time before finding your dream mobile app without paying a cent. Non-official stores are happy to provide you with numerous clones of applications you usually have to pay for. But what is their real price?  We have analyzed free copies of the most popular applications of the moment and the result is irrevocable: if you care about the confidentiality of your data, don’t be tempted by clones. **Ransomware, Banker, Spyware…** Here is a panel of clones to avoid downloading at all costs:   ![monopoly.png](https://blog.pradeo.com/hs-fs/hubfs/monopoly.png?width=140&name=monopoly.png)**Monopoly clone on Android** contains a **Banker malware** that**:** - Steals your banking information, - Performs fraudulent transactions, - Accesses to SMS and MMS contents.        ![minecraft.png](https://blog.pradeo.com/hs-fs/hubfs/minecraft.png?width=140&name=minecraft.png) **Minecraft clone on Android** contains a** Ransomware** that**: ** - Blocks the user’s device or changes the password, - Asks money to unblock it.       ![bloons-td5.png](https://blog.pradeo.com/hs-fs/hubfs/bloons-td5.png?width=140&name=bloons-td5.png) **Bloons TD5 clone on Android** contains a **Banker malware** that**:** - Steals banking information, - Performs fraudulent transactions.       ![geometry-dash.png](https://blog.pradeo.com/hs-fs/hubfs/geometry-dash.png?width=140&name=geometry-dash.png)   **Geometry Dash clone on Android** contains a **SMS Trojan** that**:** - Sends surtaxed SMS, As well as a **spyware** that:  - Steals personal data, - Geolocates the user.   Despite information and warnings, smartphones and tablets users are rarely conscious of the risks linked to downloading apps on non-official stores. Doing so, they put in danger the data they have access to through their devices. So, if you currently don’t have a mobile security solution and you have BYOD users – like 74% of companies, your corporate data are probably vulnerable.  **Would you like to know if malicious apps are installed on your mobile fleet?** ###### About The Author [More from this author](https://blog.pradeo.com/author/roxane-suau) ![](https://blog.pradeo.com/hs-fs/hubfs/roxane-suau.jpg?height=100&name=roxane-suau.jpg) ###### Roxane Suau #### Recommended articles [![Android: The 4th zero-day vulnerability patched in six months](https://blog.pradeo.com/hubfs/Template%20article%20(34).png)](https://blog.pradeo.com/android-the-4th-zero-day-vulnerability-patched-in-six-months-1) ###### [Android: The 4th zero-day vulnerability patched in six months](https://blog.pradeo.com/android-the-4th-zero-day-vulnerability-patched-in-six-months-1) - June 30, 2026 [![2026 World Cup: Cyberattacks Target Fans' Mobile Devices](https://blog.pradeo.com/hubfs/Template%20article%20(31)-1.png)](https://blog.pradeo.com/2026-world-cup-cyberattacks-target-fans-mobile-devices) ###### [2026 World Cup: Cyberattacks Target Fans' Mobile Devices](https://blog.pradeo.com/2026-world-cup-cyberattacks-target-fans-mobile-devices) - June 11, 2026 [![Signal: a phishing campaign targets users' backups](https://blog.pradeo.com/hubfs/Template%20article%20(30)-1.png)](https://blog.pradeo.com/signal-a-phishing-campaign-targets-users-backups) ###### [Signal: a phishing campaign targets users' backups](https://blog.pradeo.com/signal-a-phishing-campaign-targets-users-backups) - June 4, 2026 ### Popular articles ### Stay up to date ### Recent articles ### Articles récents [RedHook: the banking trojan that grants itself system-level access on Android](https://blog.pradeo.com/redhook-the-banking-trojan-that-grants-itself-system-level-access-on-android) - 23 March, 2017 [What Google's latest report reveals about mobile threats](https://blog.pradeo.com/what-googles-latest-report-reveals-about-mobile-threats) - 23 March, 2017 [Android: The 4th zero-day vulnerability patched in six months](https://blog.pradeo.com/android-the-4th-zero-day-vulnerability-patched-in-six-months-1) - 23 March, 2017 [Vibe Coding: when AI-generated code multiplies vulnerabilities](https://blog.pradeo.com/vibe-coding-when-ai-generated-code-multiplies-vulnerabilities) - 23 March, 2017 [2026 World Cup: Cyberattacks Target Fans' Mobile Devices](https://blog.pradeo.com/2026-world-cup-cyberattacks-target-fans-mobile-devices) - 23 March, 2017 ### Topics - [Mobile Security (56)](https://blog.pradeo.com/topic/mobile-security) - [Mobile Application Security (46)](https://blog.pradeo.com/topic/mobile-application-security) - [Expertise (31)](https://blog.pradeo.com/topic/expertise) - [Security Alert (30)](https://blog.pradeo.com/topic/security-alert) - [Cybersecurity (29)](https://blog.pradeo.com/topic/cybersecurity) - [News (27)](https://blog.pradeo.com/topic/news) - [Partners (24)](https://blog.pradeo.com/topic/partners) - [Corporate (12)](https://blog.pradeo.com/topic/corporate) - [Events (4)](https://blog.pradeo.com/topic/events) - [Actualité (2)](https://blog.pradeo.com/topic/actualité) - [predictions (2)](https://blog.pradeo.com/topic/predictions) - [cyberattack (1)](https://blog.pradeo.com/topic/cyberattack) see all [![New Call-to-action](https://hubspot-no-cache-eu1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/2378615/ad3111b0-9454-41ff-91f4-9eee95b1f08f.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-eu1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/2378615/ad3111b0-9454-41ff-91f4-9eee95b1f08f) ### Get in touch with mobile security experts [Contact us](https://www.pradeo.com/en-US/contact-us) [![](https://blog.pradeo.com/hs-fs/hubfs/pradeo_logo_white_square.png?width=90&height=74&name=pradeo_logo_white_square.png)](https://pradeo.com) European leader in mobile security, Pradeo protects business mobile devices and applications. 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