I think I have a virus

[tonywam]

For the last two weeks I have been getting messages saying I have won something once when I went on Facebook it looked real and said I had won a gift go to th next page and enter my details. I didn't do it. The day after it said I had won a thousand pounds but this was not on Facebook it just popped up. I have since had several pop up windows saying I have a serious virus I can not get rid of the screen and my phone vibrates. So on Saturday I did a factory reset using my computer and the Sony program that came with the phone. It took 45 minutes to down load then 30 minutes to sort the phone I first copied my music pictures and contacts to my computer. I then wiped my memory card. I spent 2 more hours putting everything back on my phone. It was OK all day on Sunday but at 4 o'clock to day a window popped up saying it was from crome browser and I had a very bad virus again it would not let me use the back button and just vibrated. Is there any way of sorting this without buying another phone as I do my banking on it. THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE ME. PS before I wiped the phone I looked on here and down loaded a program for malware but this didn't help.

[Uliwooly]

@tonywam

That seems more of a third party app causing this than malware, you could boot on safe mode, if you don't experience this then it is a third party app.

[tonywam]

OK have now got it in safe mode and will keep it like this for a couple of days thanks for the help. How do I find out which app is causing this and is there anything to worry about security wise. Again thanks for your help.

[Uliwooly]

@tonywam

that's the complicated thing, you will have to uninstall one by one 

[tonywam]

OK thanks. All the apps come from play store are some not safe. I thought that that was the idea. OK will do that so it may take some time. I will run in safe for a couple of days. Then I will have to run normally and remove one and keep a track of the ones that I have removed if it happens again. thanks will let you know if I find it. Is it then possible to let others know not to down load them.

[Uliwooly]

@tonywam

You could 

open the app drawer > swipe left to right > installed > uninstall one by one

[Bearings]

Hi tonywam

Android is Open Source so it relies on advertisements, and this opened a whole range of rogue fake ads that comes in through downloaded apps from Play Store.  Apps developers in Play Store also similarly relies on advertisment to earn a living, so there is no way to know which rogue ads comes from which app.

Rule of thumb is to be smart about what is an app update and a fake advertisement. All downloaded apps from Play Store will only update through Play Store.  All firmware update will update from My Phone Software Update.  Any other are fakes!!  Over the pass week some ignorant users from where I lived answers these fake apps that tell you your phone is in grave danger and needed an update actually got their identity stolen.  So if any update that does not come from Android Software Update in settings or Play Store, close them immediately.   

[tonywam]

I only update by going into playstore usually there are about six at a time. The main ones are always in the what's new folder. So all these should be safe is that what you are saying. I don't know any other way of updating them. Today I will start putting apps back on my phone one at a time. Just hope this solves the problem. It has been in safe mode for one and a half days and had no further problems will post here how I get on thanks for the advice.

[tonywam]

I have now been running in full mode for five days and been adding one or two apps per day and at the moment everything is great the only apps not reloaded are games which I now have adds if playing with data on. Which I never really do. And Facebook I use Facebook a lot and really hope it is not this app that is causing the problems. But I know lots of people who have had dirty videos sent from there accounts without them knowing. So maybe it's this will download now and keep you posted.

[tonywam · Accepted solution]

OK the phone no longer has the pop ups. I have not reloaded an mp3 downloader and two radio stations don't know if they caused the problem but will not take the chance thanks to everyone who gave advice.