Fake Banking Apps Emerge in Russia After Removal from Google Play

The removal of sanctioned Russian banks’ apps from Google Play, the App Store, and Huawei’s AppGallery has sparked a surge in fraudulent activity. The Russian Quality System (Roskachestvo) warns that Android clones of these banking apps are now being promoted on social media and Telegram, and may be malicious.

Which Banking Apps Are Affected?

According to TASS, the official online stores no longer offer apps for Sberbank, VTB, FC Otkritie, Sovcombank, Promsvyazbank (PSB), and Novikombank. It was also recently reported that Alfa-Bank has been blacklisted by Apple.

How Are Banks and Fraudsters Responding?

As a result of these removals, some previously installed apps began to malfunction. Banks quickly started developing alternatives, sending SMS messages to users suggesting they replace their apps if they encountered issues. For Android users, updates were distributed directly from the banks’ websites (for example, VTB provided a registration page via a link), while iPhone owners were directed to use the web version of the app.

This urgent response attracted the attention of scammers, who began distributing fake Android apps through social media and Telegram channels. Messages, often sent from fake bank accounts, offered ways to bypass restrictions—usually by downloading an attached file or following a provided link. Sometimes, fraudsters even sent such offers via SMS, again posing as the affected bank.

Roskachestvo’s Recommendations

Roskachestvo experts urge citizens not to download software or other files from unfamiliar sources, as this could lead to malware infections and theft of funds from bank accounts. They recommend obtaining information about bypassing sanctions only from official sources—specifically, the banks’ own websites.

Roskachestvo also noted that the current threat is minimal for iOS users, since downloading apps from third-party platforms is blocked on these devices. Most Android banking apps that are already installed continue to work normally and do not require updates.