A WhatsApp clone published by Agment Assets sallu surpasses 500,000 downloads

A fake WhatsApp app on Google Play has passed 500,000 downloads, according to Android Authority’s headline. Digit reports that the listing was published by “Agment Assets sallu” and uses WhatsApp’s name, icon, description and screenshots.

The listing’s resemblance to the messaging app is documented; the sources do not establish who operates the publishing account or whether the app has caused harm to users. Digit says the app’s download size is 42MB and that its listing describes the app as being in development. The report also identifies Reddit user “2ne1cheese” as the person who spotted the duplicate.

SammyGuru likewise describes a fake listing that used the official app’s name, screenshots and description, and says it remained available when that outlet published its report. The reports do not fully agree in emphasis about how users might encounter the listing.

SammyGuru says the fake appeared as a sponsored search result for some users, but reports that its own checks showed the official WhatsApp app first on both mobile and the web. Digit says a screengrab shared by the Reddit user showed the app as a “Sponsored” suggestion.

These accounts indicate that sponsored placement was reported, while SammyGuru’s search checks did not show the clone ahead of the official app. Digit places the WhatsApp listing in the context of a recent counterfeit Google Chrome app that it says attracted more than 100,000 subscribers before it was removed.

That comparison supplies a precedent for another impersonating app listing appearing on Google Play, but the sources do not establish a connection between the Chrome and WhatsApp apps or explain who created either one.

The reported download count is the clearest measure of the listing’s reach, but it does not show how many people installed the app, used it, or experienced a problem. The sources provide no account from Google, WhatsApp, or the app’s publisher about the listing, the download count, or any review or removal decision.

SammyGuru’s statement that the listing remained available applies to the time of its publication, not necessarily to its status afterward. The immediate questions are whether Google Play removes or restricts the listing and whether Google or WhatsApp comments on its publication and reported reach.

The available reporting also leaves open whether the app’s 42MB size, development status, or sponsored appearance played any role in users downloading it. Those details are reported characteristics of the listing, not evidence about the publisher’s intent or what the app does after installation.