A fake WhatsApp clone will appear on the Play Store before the real version

After a Chrome clone was spotted on the Play Store earlier this week, a user on Reddit says he sees a fake version of WhatsApp in a "sponsored" slot above the real version. As previously reported by Android Authority, WhatsApp Dope has been downloaded over 500,000 times and at the time of writing, […]

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Apparently, the "WhatsApp Messenger" hoax appeared as a sponsored result above the real version.

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is a news writer covering all things consumer technology. Stevie started writing news and reviews about hardware, gaming and artificial intelligence at Laptop Mag.

After a Chrome clone was spotted on the Play Store earlier this week, a user on Reddit says he sees a fake version of WhatsApp in a "sponsored" slot above the real version. As previously reported by Android Authority, WhatsApp dupe has been downloaded over 500,000 times and its Play Store listing is still live at the time of writing.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

WhatsApp Emulator is from a developer made by "Agment Assets sallu" which currently has nothing else listed on Play Store. Their listing for the WhatsApp cheat has the same icon, screenshots and text as the real version, but the real WhatsApp has over 10 billion downloads, an "Editor's Choice" badge, and over 246 million reviews. Android Authority notes that the WhatsApp emulator may use the Google Play Early Access program to disable public user reviews, which could help users warn people about downloading the app.

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