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Millions of Android handsets have been exposed to malware through malicious apps being offered on Google Play.

The apps include the Durak card game, along with a history game and IQ test, which combined have been installed more than 15 million times.

The apps cause unwanted adverts to display on users' phones and their abnormal behaviour sometimes doesn't appear until a month after installation.

Millions of Android handsets have been exposed to malware through malicious apps being offered on Google Play. The apps include the Durak card game, along with a history game and IQ test, which combined have been installed more than 15 million times

The apps were discovered after Prague-based antivirus provider, Avast, received a user complaint. 

'This impression remains until you reboot your device and wait for a couple of days,' wrote Filip Chytry, an Avast mobile malware analyst.

'After a week, you might start to feel there is something wrong with your device. Some of the apps wait up to 30 days until they show their true colours.'

As well as Durak, the other other games included a Russian IQ test with up to five million installs, and a Russian history app game, which has been installed up to 50,000 times by Android users. 

These apps have now been removed from Google Play.  

Each time a user unlocks their device an advert is shown warning them about a fake problem, such as their phone is full or porn.

The apps cause unwanted adverts to display on users' phones and their 'abnormal behaviour' sometimes doesn't appear until a month after installation. Each time a user unlocks their device an advert is shown, warning them about a fake problem, such as their phone is full or porn

The app then asks them to take action, and if the user accepts, they will get re-directed to other services.

The scam could then potentially provoke victims to download apps from untrusted sources to resolve the issue. 

'An even bigger surprise was that users were sometimes directed to security apps on Google Play,' Mr Chytry revealed.

'These security apps are, of course, harmless, but would security providers really want to promote their apps via adware?

'Even if you install the security apps, the undesirable ads popping up on your phone don't stop.

According to Dan Goodin at Arstechnica, there is no way to know for definite if an app available in Google Play is malicious.

Genuine apps, however, often have a large numbers of downloads developed by well-known developers.

Google Play has been plagued by app problems in the past. It has previously offered titles that provide secret remote access as well as ones that are malicious advertising networks.

Google has yet to respond to MailOnline about malware on Google Play. 

The scam could then potentially provoke victims to download apps from untrusted sources to resolve the issue. Pictured is a screenshot of the Durak card game when it was available on Google Play