Fake App: Meaning and Definition

A fake app is a fraudulent mobile application that mimics a legitimate brand's official app to steal credentials, distribute malware, bypass paid features, or intercept payments. Fake apps appear on third-party Android stores, unofficial APK marketplaces, and occasionally slip past official-store reviews using close-match icons, names, and screenshots. Detection compares package metadata against authentic releases; takedown workflows engage store operators directly, and forensic packaging of the offending APK supports follow-on legal action against the publisher.