Apple Claims App Store Security Features Prevented Over $2 Billion in Fraudulent Transactions in 2022

[MacRumors]

The App Store prevented an estimated $2 billion in "potentially fraudulent transactions" in 2022, Apple said today in a Newsroom article that highlights the security benefits of the App Store and Apple Pay.

Close to 3.9 million stolen credit cards were prevented from being used to make fraudulent purchases within apps, and 714,000 accounts were banned from transacting again, which is how Apple ended up at the $2 billion figure.

Apple says that it also rejected almost 1.7 million app submissions for apps that did not meet App Store standards for "privacy, security, and content." Of those 1.7 million apps, 400,000 were rejected for privacy violations, 153,000 were rejected for spam, copying an existing app, or misleading users, and 29,000 were rejected for including hidden or undocumented features.

428,000 developer accounts were terminated for potentially fraudulent activity, and 105,000 fraudulent developer account creations were blocked. Apple also deactivated 282 million fraudulent customer accounts and blocked another 198 million before they were created.

Fewer fraudulent developer accounts were terminated in 2022 than 2021 because of "new methods and protocols" that Apple implemented to make fraudulent account creation more difficult. Apple claims that it protected users from "nearly 57,000" apps sourced from "illegitimate storefronts" that distribute harmful software. Over 147 million fraudulent ratings and reviews were blocked from the App Store, preventing customers from being tricked by reviews left by bot accounts.

Apple's App Store security figures come as it is facing pressure to allow iPhone and iPad customers to install apps outside of the App Store through "sideloading" or alternate app marketplaces. The European Union has already passed legislation forcing Apple to allow apps to be installed outside of the App Store, functionality that the company is expected to implement in Europe as soon as iOS 17.

The United States is working on similar legislation to allow customers to bypass the App Store, and Apple says such mandates would "undermine the privacy and security protections" that iPhone users have come to rely on and would allow "malware, scams, and data-exploitation to proliferate."

Article Link: Apple Claims App Store Security Features Prevented Over $2 Billion in Fraudulent Transactions in 2022

 

[Candy Apple+ Nutz]

Now if they could keep the fraudulent apps out of there to begin with, we’d be set.

I know, unlikely given the size. A lot has to do with users willing to DL anything.

 

[Brad7]

Guess this pretty much confirms they’ll allow bypassing of the App Store in Europe. So they’re promoting the benefits of sticking with the App Store in advance of that.

 

[jz0309]

428,000 developer accounts were terminated for potentially fraudulent activity, and 105 million fraudulent developer account creations were blocked. Apple also deactivated 282 million fraudulent customer accounts and blocked another 198 million before they were created.

Those sheer numbers are mind boggling

 

[Apple Fan 2008]

Guess this pretty much confirms they’ll allow bypassing of the App Store in Europe. So they’re promoting the benefits of sticking with the App Store in advance of that.

The best way to do sideloading would be to enable gatekeeper on iOS, that way the potental victim gets at least warned.

 

[GMShadow]

The best way to do sideloading would be to enable gatekeeper on iOS, that way the potental victim gets at least warned.

Gatekeeper would help and they may do something like that, but we'll see. I suspect the EU would still have a cow if Apple tried to enforce the notarization requirement they somewhat have on macOS.

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

Doesn’t mean you can’t give people an option, like on the Mac…

 

[mrat93]

Wonder why they don’t share how many apps were removed from the App Store for scammy practices.

 

[BaldiMac]

Guess this pretty much confirms they’ll allow bypassing of the App Store in Europe. So they’re promoting the benefits of sticking with the App Store in advance of that.

They put out a similar statement the last few years. It doesn't confirm anything of the sort.

 

[dk001]

Comes across to me more as a CYA and painting a pig.

Just confirms I'll keep doing what I am; being careful and researching what I download before I install it.

 

[CalMin]

It’s not perfect, but the truth is that I feel safer buying apps via the App Store than by any other means.

 

[munpip214]

Meanwhile Americans lost $10B to other scams… Sad that there is no easy way to be safe online.

 

[redbeard331]

Now if they could just remove all the pay to play scam games off the AppStore. There are games that you’d have to spend hundreds of dollars per week just to be competitive or advance. This is why I don’t play games anymore and will buy a console eventually.

 

[JosephAW]

Where is the category of: purchases declined due to insufficient funds for computers with 64gb of ram and 4tb storage?

 

[mrat93]

It’s not perfect, but the truth is that I feel safer buying apps via the App Store than by any other means.

I don’t think anybody is arguing otherwise.

 

[TVreporter]

That's a lot of people downloading Flappy Bird.

 

[mrat93]

Where is the category of: purchases declined due to insufficient funds for computers with 64gb of ram and 4tb storage?

Wild how you can buy a top-notch 4tb SSD and 64gb of RAM for under $400 total, but if you want half of that — 2tb SSD and and 32gb RAM — in a MacBook Pro, that’s an extra $1200

 

[theMarble]

It’s not perfect, but the truth is that I feel safer buying apps via the App Store than by any other means.

Every platform has bad/scam apps, but yes I do also feel that the App Store does do a better job (from what I have experienced) of keeping those kind of apps out of the spotlight. I've sometimes found that if you search for a game (let's say Minecraft as an example), on the Play Store the knockoff and/or scam fakes come before the real Minecraft app page.

 

[dandy1117]

Doesn’t mean you can’t give people an option, like on the Mac…

Everybody mistakes who has the "option" if side loading is allowed. The option is not for the end-user but for developers. Developers will have the opportunity to distribute their App via the App Store or side loading. I suspect many large developers will move their apps from the App Store and build their own distribution mechanisms...

I hear you, big dawg! "But they didn't do that on Android, which permits side loading!" ... that's correct, but I argue that's BECAUSE Apple didn't allow side loading. If the market dynamics change and both platforms allow side loading (especially the more profitable app platform), Meta, Adobe, Microsoft, Sony, etc. will be incentivized to bypass both default app stores to create their own!

 

[Wildkraut]

My parents and I must have super power, We survived the pre-AppStore lock-in era.
They even use an Android that has side-loading, unbelievable.

 

[Mojohanna32]

Wonder why they don’t share how many apps were removed from the App Store for scammy practices.

1.7 million

 

[citysnaps]

Doesn’t mean you can’t give people an option, like on the Mac…

As along as Apple is not responsible for any security/privacy intrusions and damages a customer could incur as a result of sideloading.

If you choose to sideload apps, you're on your own if something bad happens.

 

[needsomecoffee]

No word on why/how scam subscription apps continue to be top-rated apps. No word on why searching for a trademarked app name gives dozens and dozens of scam apps that use a trademarked name in the app title to lure customers away from purchasing the app they really are search for. Honestly, a multi-trillion dollar company cannot be bothered to tighten up the app store to reduce these scams/frauds. Instead Apple cites that they caught "...the use of fradulent credit cards...". Something every retailer deals with. When I go into Walmart I do not have to sift thru a few dozen brands of "Simple Green Degreaser" to find the one bottle actually made by Simple Green, because Walmart does not stock rip-offs. Try again Tim.

 

[jimbobb24]

Everybody mistakes who has the "option" if side loading is allowed. The option is not for the end-user but for developers. Developers will have the opportunity to distribute their App via the App Store or side loading. I suspect many large developers will move their apps from the App Store and build their own distribution mechanisms...

I hear you, big dawg! "But they didn't do that on Android, which permits side loading!" ... that's correct, but I argue that's BECAUSE Apple didn't allow side loading. If the market dynamics change and both platforms allow side loading (especially the more profitable app platform), Meta, Adobe, Microsoft, Sony, etc. will be incentivized to bypass both default app stores to create their own!

And all the people who say...if you dont want to side load you dont have to will need to explain how that ever made sense once every organization producing apps we need on a daily basis left the app store. Once it happens the utopia is over (for those of us who love how it is) and its android chaos for everyone. Those who dont like it are just getting screwed.

 

[JamesHolden]

Those sheer numbers are mind boggling

That's what I was just thinking. Imagine how much still gets through. Imagine how much fraud happens on other platforms. The totality is almost inconceivable.