Some people may think that the Apple App Store is a lot more secure than other platforms. Of course, no system is flawless. In fact, someone recently found a scam app on the App Store, one that was disguising itself as a mobile game.
According to Kosta Eleftheriou (FlickType founder), the scam app looks to be a platform game for children at first glance. However, it turns into an online casino if you set your VPN server to Turkey. This fake online casino gives victims the option to pay using a credit card or using cryptocurrency. They can even deposit a sum for a bonus payout. Of course, victims never get their money back as it's a scam.
But since the scammers are not using Apple’s IAP, and an online casino could just be a website, why are they even going through the App Store?
— Kosta Eleftheriou (@keleftheriou) April 15, 2021
To take advantage of people’s misplaced trust due to Apple’s “Security! Privacy!” marketing.
In fact, this *is* just a web view! pic.twitter.com/LqKHpSOw74
Let's leave the VPN to Turkey part aside for now. The scary thing for everyone is that this app has been on the Apple App Store for months, even getting several updates within that time. It's no longer there, but this case proves that Apple's app review process isn't as good as some people think it is.
Of course, this isn't something that happens often, but it's best to be careful whenever you download an app from a developer that isn't well-known. With that said, have you encountered any shady apps like these? For more news like this, stay tuned to TechNave.
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