Fake Google Play Store Pages Use Trusted Brand Names to Push Gambling PWAs

Scammers run a coordinated affiliate-driven campaign using paid social ads and highly convincing fake app-store/brand pages to trick users into installing Progressive Web Apps that appear as legitimate branded apps (e.g., Tesco, Amazon, Monzo) but load third-party online casino sites. Affiliate tracking parameters credit deposits to the campaigns, creating financial loss for victims and eroding trust in legitimate brands; Netcraft’s analysis shows multi-market scale, reused infrastructure, and creative sophistication (including AI-generated videos), and recommends stronger creative verification and disruption of affiliate flows.