Date: March 31, 2026 Scope: 16 apps from the casting/screen mirroring category on Google Play
The casting/screen mirroring category on Google Play is dominated by a small number of developer networks — primarily based in Vietnam and Pakistan — operating through multiple fake developer accounts, offshore shell companies, and systematic Play Store manipulation. These networks collectively account for ~1.8 billion installs across ~280+ apps.
By Stefan Hurzlmeier (@stefan_pledl) — March 31, 2026
I'm the developer of LocalCast, a casting app for Android. I've been competing in the "Cast to TV" / "Screen Mirroring" category on Google Play for years.
Recently, I noticed something: the ads showing up inside my own app were all for competing casting apps — and they all looked suspiciously similar. Same ad style, same kind of app, all targeting LocalCast users specifically. I collected 16 of these apps and started digging into who was behind them.
What I found was worse than I expected: a small number of developer networks — primarily based in Vietnam and Pakistan — operating 280+ apps across dozens of fake developer accounts, racking up a combined 1.8 billion installs through systematic Play Store manipulation. And they're all running coordinated ad campaigns targeting competing apps l