How to Spot an iOS App Scam

If you’re designing a mobile application, your first choice is what platform to use — iOS or Android. While both have their benefits, many developers would argue that iOS is the far superior of the two.

One of the most common reasons people opt to code for Apple products above Android is the perceived difference in security. Android is what is known as an ‘open source operating system’. iOS, on the other hand, is a closed system. This means that all Android users have the right to modify the source code of the software, an option that is not available to Apple developers and phone owners.

This is not as haphazard as it sounds. It’s not as if anybody and everybody is meddling with your Android phone’s code and accessing your private data. By and large, Android systems are very secure, particularly if users download apps only from reputable sources, such as the Google Play Store. However, whether or not there is any truth to the matter, Apple phone’s certainly have the reputation of being less at risk from online attacks.

This is why it was particularly surprising to hear of a scam problem that is reportedly running rampant through the App Store. Earlier this year, developer Kosta Eleftheriou published a lengthy Twitter thread in which he called out issues that he saw were causing consumers to place false trust in mobile applications with potentially devastating consequences.

Eleftheriou’s claims suggest that iOS application development teams face significant challenges when it comes to marketing their app and that consumers have the right to be concerned about potential scam applications on their mobile devices.

The App Store Scam explained

Eleftheriou works in iOS application development and first became aware of potential App Store scams when he discovered scammers ripping off his own application — an Apple Watch keyboard app. The online criminals stole his marketing materials to advertise their fake app before creating hundreds of fake reviews to convince innocent consumers to make a purchase.

His research led him to the realisation that it was not just his app that had been affected by this type of scam. Eleftheriou’s Twitter account has become a platform from which he shares specific examples of apparently very popular apps that are also very obviously scams. How can he tell? Pretty easily, it turns out.

Eleftheriou used the example of an app called ‘Star Gazer’, which is designed to help people identify constellations in the night sky. At the time of his research, Star Gazer had 80,000 ratings for an average of 4.6 stars. Seems like an app you can trust, right?

Well, a closer look into these stellar ratings reveals that very few of them have left an actual written review. Whatsmore, the reviews that have been left are less than complementary, with consumers claiming that the application simply doesn’t work. In addition, many claim that Star Gazer signed them up to a paid subscription that they could not cancel.

All up, Eleftheriou claims that the scammers could be netting up to $5 million a year from their work.

What does this mean for developers?

Eleftheriou recently took his concerns to court, suing Apple for what he claims is an exploitation of their monopolised power. Since then, the two parties have been in and out of court, debating a range of issues, including copyright.

For those involved in iOS application development, Eleftheriou’s concerns are legitimate and point to potential risks involved with programming for Apple’s platform. At the very least, developers should be aware that in marketing their applications, they are likely to be up against scammers with considerable money and resources at their disposal.

Developers should also keep a close eye out for ‘copy-cat apps’. The last thing you want is for all your hard work to result in someone else’s profit.

You could also consider programming for Android rather than iOS. However, in doing so, you should be aware that the Google Play Store is just as susceptible to similar schemes.

Tips for consumers

Consumers have a right to be concerned when faced with these sorts of online threats. So, how can you tell a real iOS application from one that could cause you to lose hundreds of dollars?

Well, to start with, never take one review at face value. As Eleftheriou found, oftentimes these scam apps will feature a particularly positive review (that is probably fake) but a quick scroll through more recent customer comments will reveal significant problems with the technology.

You should also be aware that ‘copy cat apps’ do exist. Even if an application looks secure and functional, that may only be because the scammers have simply stolen the marketing materials of a legitimate app.

There’s no disputing the fact that Apple’s systems enable iOS application development teams to create state-of-the-art applications. However, being aware of the types of risks and scams that are out there can help protect customers, developers, and their clients alike.