TikTok users hit with scam apps downloaded over 2.4 million times [updated]
Bogus apps show hidden ads, charge you for free stuff
Here at Tom’s Guide our expert editors are committed to bringing you the best news, reviews and guides to help you stay informed and ahead of the curve!
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Daily (Mon-Sun)
Tom's Guide Daily
Sign up to get the latest updates on all of your favorite content! From cutting-edge tech news and the hottest streaming buzz to unbeatable deals on the best products and in-depth reviews, we’ve got you covered.
Weekly on Thursday
Tom's AI Guide
Be AI savvy with your weekly newsletter summing up all the biggest AI news you need to know. Plus, analysis from our AI editor and tips on how to use the latest AI tools!
Weekly on Friday
Tom's iGuide
Unlock the vast world of Apple news straight to your inbox. With coverage on everything from exciting product launches to essential software updates, this is your go-to source for the latest updates on all the best Apple content.
Weekly on Monday
Tom's Streaming Guide
Our weekly newsletter is expertly crafted to immerse you in the world of streaming. Stay updated on the latest releases and our top recommendations across your favorite streaming platforms.
Join the club
Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.
UPDATE: Apple has removed the iOS apps in question here from the App Store.
Watch out, TikTok kids! Some of the most popular accounts on your favorite short-form-video app may be promoting scammy Android and iOS apps designed to show you ads or rip you off.
This was discovered by a 12-year-old girl in the Czech Republic who promptly reported her findings to security firm Avast. Avast has the details in a blog post today (Sept. 22).
- TikTok VPN: How a VPN could evade a TikTok ban
- The best Android antivirus apps to keep your phone clean
- New: iPhone 12 leak just revealed a big last-minute surprise
"Altogether, the apps have been downloaded more than 2,400,000 times and have earned the people or persons behind the scam more than $500,000," Avast said in a press release.
All seven apps of the scammy apps were still available in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store at the time of this writing.
The apps claim to provide wallpapers, download music or be a phone-vibration game called "Shock your friends." But they will load ads outside of the apps or charge you between $2 and $10 for normally free items such as wallpapers.
"The apps we discovered are scams and violate both Google's and Apple's app policies by either making misleading claims around app functionalities, or serving ads outside of the app and hiding the original app icon soon after the app is installed," said Avast threat analyst Jakub Vavra.
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
"It is particularly concerning that the apps are being promoted on social media platforms popular among younger kids, who may not recognize some of the red flags surrounding the apps and therefore may fall for them."
Avast found at least three TikTok accounts that were aggressively promoting the apps, with the usernames 7odestar, Dejavuuu.es3 and Marina90lazina. The first had more than 300,000 followers.
It also found one Instagram account with the username Shockmyfriends.app promoting the apps. All four were still active as of Wednesday morning in New York.
Avast said it had reported the apps and accounts to Apple, Google, Instagram and TikTok.
Scam apps exposed
There are three Android apps and four iOS ones listed by Avast. All were still available for download when this story was written Tuesday morning (Sept. 22) Eastern time.
Update: By Tuesday evening, the iOS ones had been removed.
- ThemeZone - Shawky App Free - Shock My Friends
- Tap Roulette ++Shock my Friend
- Ulimate Music Downloader - Free Download Music
- Shock My Friends - Satuna
- shock my friend tap roulette v
- 666 Time
- ThemeZone - Live Wallpapers
How to protect yourself from TikTok scams
To protect yourself from scammy apps, be very wary of anything that's promoted via social-media platforms or via text or instant messages.
Also, read the reviews in the app stores before you download anything -- if something has exceptionally low ratings, as a few of these do, that's often a tip-off.
If you're on an Android phone, you should also install and run some of the best Android antivirus apps. That won't catch all scamware, but it will protect you from the most dangerous stuff. (Unfortunately, there are no antivirus apps for iOS.)
"We thank the young girl who reported the TikTok profile to us," said Avast's Jakub Vavra. "Her awareness and responsible action is the kind of commitment we should all show to make the cyberworld a safer place."

Paul Wagenseil is a senior editor at Tom's Guide focused on security and privacy. He has also been a dishwasher, fry cook, long-haul driver, code monkey and video editor. He's been rooting around in the information-security space for more than 15 years at FoxNews.com, SecurityNewsDaily, TechNewsDaily and Tom's Guide, has presented talks at the ShmooCon, DerbyCon and BSides Las Vegas hacker conferences, shown up in random TV news spots and even moderated a panel discussion at the CEDIA home-technology conference. You can follow his rants on Twitter at @snd_wagenseil.
