A virus-carrying smart phone app disguised as the now popular WeChat Phonebook has been detected by an antivirus service, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

The 360 Mobile Phone Security Centre, a leading antivirus software developer in China, says it has spotted the fake app for the first time.

The WeChat Phonebook, a support product of WeChat introduced days ago by Chinese tech giant Tencent, was designed to allow users to make free phone calls via the internet.

WeChat has around 500 million active users worldwide.

The 360 company warns that the app is tampered with a Trojan virus and can go through all the contacts information stored on the phone.

The fake app bears a similar icon and interface as the real one. It uses a verification code to bypass the antivirus scan.

The Trojan planted in the app is also capable of detecting if there is an antivirus app installed in the phone. If not, the app would send false messages while operating on the background and rack-up an extra bill for the phone owners.

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