Tech

A fake WhatsApp clone is showing up before the real version on the Play Store

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 16/10/2026, 15:16:26 UTC.

Briefings

A fake WhatsApp clone developed by 'Agment Assets sallu' has been spotted on the Google Play Store, featuring identical icons, screenshots, and text to the legitimate app. The impostor has accumulated over 500,000 downloads and remains live as of October 2026, with Google not immediately responding to inquiries about its presence.

Key points

• A developer named 'Agment Assets sallu' has launched a fake WhatsApp clone with identical branding to the legitimate app.
• The fake version has gained over 500,000 downloads on the Play Store before Google responded to reports.

Context

This incident occurred in late 2026, where a user on Reddit reported seeing a fake WhatsApp in a 'sponsored' slot above the real version. The fake app is from a developer with no other listings on the Play Store, and Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Limitations

Evidence is limited to a Reddit user report and a single developer profile; no official Google response or user feedback data is provided.

Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 17/10/2026, 01:55:49 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.

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