Meta removed 39 advertisements from Facebook and Instagram after the Indian government warned about malicious Android apps disguised as pornography apps. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an advisory on August 26 highlighting that these apps could steal banking credentials, intercept OTPs, and transfer money without users' consent, according to inc42.com.
The apps were promoted through sexually explicit ads on Meta's platforms under names like “Night Play”, “Reloop”, “Kyss”, and others. These ads redirected users to phishing websites offering pornographic content and prompted them to download APK files outside official stores such as Google Play. Reuters identified at least 39 such ads active after the advisory, and Meta removed them shortly after being notified, inc42.com reported.
The advisory came amid a rise in financial fraud involving malicious Android apps, as noted by the National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit under the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre. The scam exploited users by using sexually explicit videos and images to lure them into downloading harmful apps that could compromise their devices and financial information. This action reflects growing concerns over app-based cyber threats in India, inc42.com said.
The Ministry of Home Affairs issued the advisory on August 26, and Meta took down the flagged ads soon after Reuters alerted the company. Inc42.com reached out to Meta for comment, with updates pending.