Every holiday season, scammers and thefts are in search for the easiest way to get your money. This season, fake apps have been appearing on Apple’s App Store.
Hundreds of applications are making it on to Apple’s App Store, Dan Ackerman with CNET says “they seem to be overwhelming even Apple’s ability to screen them out before they go up.”
Buyers are downloading these apps, unaware that they part of a scam, and installing them. Some are even putting in their personal information, such as credit card. By the time buyers noticed the app was a scam their accounts has already been hit.
Others, like Meghan Alexander an app shopper, remain unaware of the problem. She actually had no idea it was a concern until it was brought to her attention.
Ackerman says the first line of defense is to check who published the app. For exmaple, if it’s an overstock app, go the real one would say “by Overstock.com” and the fake one says “by Overstock, Inc.”
Another helpful tip is to go directly to the website of the store you’re interested in and go to the bottom of the page there will be a direct link to their mobile application.
Apple does remove the fake apps that are up but more and more show up everyday making sure there are customer reviews and no typos is also an indication that app is a legitimate one.
If you think there is an app that you downloaded on your phone or tablet device remove it immediately and report the app to the App Store.
