Most went live in September, and all share a similar code library meant to help avoid detection.

In announcing the partnership, Google acknowledged that the current processes for reporting malicious apps “aren’t designed to scale.”

Evidence suggests the Egyptian government could be behind the activity, which dates back to 2016.

The Android malware pushed fake prizes to generate click fraud. The program’s developers borrowed open-source code from the real Telegram app.

Researchers declined to identify the company by name, citing an ongoing law enforcement investigation.

It's only the latest revelation about how scammers are using apps as a way to leverage victims' phones, and generate ad revenue.