Is the Talking Angela Cat App or Application Malicious or Not?

In 2013, there were Facebook hoaxes that claimed the "Talking Angela" app was malicious and advised parents not to allow their children to download the app. These hoaxes have resurrected and are spreading on the internet like wildfire. The "Talking Angela" app is not malicious and is a safe and family-friendly app.

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Is the Talking Angela Cat App or Application Malicious or Not?

The "Talking Angela Cat" App

The "Talking Angela" Facebook Hoaxes

The "Talking Angela" Facebook Hoaxes

  • “Check Your Kids Tablet Or Phones To See If They Have This App Its A Pedo Ring Ive Just Downloaded It To Check And Its Digusting,”
  • “Warning For To All Parents With Children That Have Any Electronic Devices , Ex : Ipod,Tablets Etc .... There Is A Site Called Talking Angela , This Site Asks Kids Questions Like : There Names , Where They Go To School And Also Take Pictures Of Their Faces By Pushing A Heart On The Bottom Left Corner Without Any Notices . Please Check Your Children's Ipods And All To Make Sure They Do Not Have”
  • “Attention Parents & Grandparents! My future daughter-in-law just received this warning from a friend on her page. Do not let your child download the Talking Angela app! It is very creepy! Gracie downloaded it without asking to her kindle fire because it was free and a really cute cat. She brought it to me to answer the question it asked. I immediately noticed it had activated the camera. It had already asked her name, age, and knew she was in the living room! I immediately deleted it!”

The maker of the “Talking Angela” application, OutFit7, has created a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs), which will provide you with more information about the same app. Please see the FAQs taken from their website http://outfit7.com/.

Here are the Facts about the "Talking Angela" app

Q: IS TALKING ANGELA SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN?

A: Yes. As a company that supports family-friendly entertainment we ensure we are protecting personal privacy and offering a safe environment for game-play. Upon initial download, users are given the option to play the Talking Angela app in child mode, a function specifically designed to safeguard the privacy of young players. Within child mode, the chat bot feature is disabled so Talking Angela can respond only to touch and repeat what she hears over the microphone, similar to other apps within the Talking Tom and Friends series. Child mode can be selected at any point within the app’s settings.

If child mode is not selected, chat bot will be enabled and Talking Angela will engage in two-way communication with the user. This involves Talking Angela asking the user questions – topics of which are defined in the app description on all app stores.

Q: DOES TALKING ANGELA ASK PERSONAL QUESTIONS?

A: When not operating in child mode, Talking Angela asks users their name and age. The reason for this is to provide the best possible experience and optimize the app’s content. Although all topics are family-friendly, the Talking Angela app is able to determine the most suitable topics of conversation according to a user’s age. For example, if the user is a child, the chat bot will discuss familiar topics such as school.

This information will be visible to Outfit7 only on an aggregated level. This means that we will be able to see how many users of each age we have, but will not be able to determine the name and age of a particular user.

Q: DOES TALKING ANGELA STORE PHOTOS OF YOU?

A: No. The app uses gesture recognition technology through the use of a front camera. This enables Talking Angela to recognize face gestures, which enhances users’ interaction with the app. This function does not take photos or videos of the user and no personal data is shared with third parties.

* An older version of the app enables users to take their photos by pressing the heart button in the app. Any photos taken are not stored locally on the device and are not sent anywhere.

Q: DOES THE TALKING ANGELA APP COLLECT PERSONAL DATA?

A: The app sends anonymized and obfuscated data log files to Outfit7. This data relates to the chat history that cannot be attributed to any individual person and any personal details that are provided voluntarily (e.g. names, addresses, places, etc.) are deleted within the app before they are sent. The data is used solely for development purposes and improvement of individual functions within the app with the aim to make Talking Angela more appealing to users. The data logs are not disclosed to third parties. For additional information, please visit our Privacy Policy.

Q: WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ON TALKING ANGELA?

A: A true a clear description of the app can be found on all app stores so customers can read about Talking Angela and its core functionalities before downloading on iOS, Android or interacting on Facebook. For any further questions or customer support, please contact us directly.

Check the comment section below for additional information, share what you know, or ask a question about this article by leaving a comment below. And, to quickly find answers to your questions, use our search Search engine.

Note: Some of the information in samples on this website may have been impersonated or spoofed.

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Comments, Questions, Answers, or Reviews

Comments (Total: 19)

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December 1, 2017 at 9:04 AM by
Is the Talking Angela Cat App or Application Malicious or Not?
an anonymous user from: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

An anti virus app detected this app 'talking Angela' not 'my talking Angela' as having malicious code. And there was a bad app somewhere on the tablet as the gallery kept getting cluttered with a lot of unwanted pictures, so who knows. It doesn't mean it is unsafe for children but maybe it just had some sort of virus in it, or hadn't been formatted with a number media file?

I dunno as no expert but I had to uninstall anyway, just remember to delete cache. Data then uninstall. Still about 6 other outfit 7 on there!

Delete

December 1, 2017 at 4:58 PM by
Is the Talking Angela Cat App or Application Malicious or Not?
info

Maybe the people who reported it as malicious got their devices infected with malware, virus or some other malicious program that caused the app to appear malicious.

Delete

February 25, 2014 at 2:35 PM by
Is the Talking Angela Cat App or Application Malicious or Not?
an anonymous user from: Hanford, California, United States

Hi, Angela is fun and now my sister and brother have it.

Delete

March 5, 2014 at 5:05 PM by
Is the Talking Angela Cat App or Application Malicious or Not?
an anonymous user from: Beaverton, Oregon, United States

It is ok. I have it but the creator should make Angela only ask about the age.

Delete

March 10, 2014 at 4:28 PM by
Is the Talking Angela Cat App or Application Malicious or Not?
an anonymous user from: Newberry, Pennsylvania, United States

I love it but she should get a new voice, its creepy:-

Delete

April 1, 2014 at 7:19 AM by
Is the Talking Angela Cat App or Application Malicious or Not?
an anonymous user from: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Really, she is nice in her talks and attitude.

Delete

February 24, 2014 at 12:22 PM by
Is the Talking Angela Cat App or Application Malicious or Not?
an anonymous user from: Southampton, England, United Kingdom

I am very cross and so is outfit7. I really hate this hoax and it needs to stop.

Delete

April 13, 2014 at 8:50 AM by
Is the Talking Angela Cat App or Application Malicious or Not?
an anonymous user from: Manila, National Capital Region, Philippines

You're right. This hoax honestly needs to stop, I don't know how the hoaxes started again.

Delete

February 23, 2014 at 11:49 AM by
Is the Talking Angela Cat App or Application Malicious or Not?
an anonymous user from: Berea, Ohio, United States

Can this app go through all your information on your phone? Like you contacts and photos . This is a creepy app . Don't get it . Me and my friend were on it and we took a picture an zoomed in we say a man and hi in his apartment . Explain that .

Delete

February 23, 2014 at 10:02 AM by
Is the Talking Angela Cat App or Application Malicious or Not?
an anonymous user from: Washington, District of Columbia, United States

I looked at the app on the app store and 5 mins later received a text message saying "This is mike.Im closer than you think." I've seen other people online saying that got text messages also.Very creepy! Someone explain this to me.

Delete

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Pay the safest way

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Guard your personal information

In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.

Be careful of the information you share

Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with

Know who you’re dealing with

Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.

Check your accounts

Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.

Don’t believe promises of easy money

If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.

Do not open email from people you don’t know

If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.

Think before you click

If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.

Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond

If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.

Be careful with links and new website addresses

Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.

Secure your personal information

Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.

Stay informed on the latest cyber threats

Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.

Use Strong Passwords

Strong passwords are critical to online security.

Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs

Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.

Update the operating systems on your electronic devices

Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.

What if You Got Scammed?

Stop Contact With The Scammer

Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.

Secure Your Finances

  • Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
  • Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:

Check Your Computer

If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.

Change Your Account Passwords

Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.

Report The Scam

Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.

Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:

  • Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
  • Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
  • Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.

How To Recognize a Phishing Scam

Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.

Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:

Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might

  • say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
  • claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
  • say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
  • include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
  • want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
  • say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
  • offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real

About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)

Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.

By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.

With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.

Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.

Help maintain Online Threat Alerts (OTA).

Is the Talking Angela Cat App or Application Malicious or Not?