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An unofficial iOS app for MyEtherWallet.com rose to the top of the App Store over the weekend, nabbing the third spot in the Finance category after being on the storefront for a little over a week (via TechCrunch). MyEtherWallet.com is a popular service made for storing cryptocurrencies but it doesn't have an official iOS app, so the company tweeted out a warning for users to not be fooled by the "MyEtherWallet" iOS app, as well as asking for Apple to remove it from the App Store.

fake-app-myetherwallet.jpg

At the time of writing, MyEtherWallet still remains at #3 on the App Store's Finance chart. The app lists its developer as Nam Le, who has two other iOS apps -- "Panda Warrior: Kung Fu Awesomeness" and "Mr. Beard: Icehole Fishermans" -- and one Apple Watch app called "Wrist Count." MyEtherWallet costs $4.99 and its App Store page says that it allows users to anonymously manage their ethereum wallets, create wallets offline, and store wallet keys securely inside their iPhone.

This is NOT US. We have file reports and emailed and reported. Would appreciate the communities assistance in getting these scamtards out of our lives.PS: We are #Foss4Lyfe https://t.co/SmI8cqNvxA - MyEtherWallet.com (@myetherwallet) December 10, 2017
As the company's mission statement explains, MyEtherWallet.com is a "free, open-source, client-side interface for generating Ethereum wallets & more," so the fake app's $4.99 price tag raises legal questions in addition to the questions of how it got past Apple's app review process in the first place. Tracking service Apptopia told TechCrunch that the app's week-long existence on the App Store has seen around 3,000 downloads so far. Apple has yet to comment on the unofficial app's existence and if it will be allowed to remain on the App Store.

Apps for buying and selling cryptocurrency have become popular recently, with one called "Coinbase" -- this one official -- rising to become the #1 most downloaded free app in the United States iOS App Store last week. This happened after the price of bitcoin rose past $17,000 and saw a price jump of over 20 percent in one day. As the app climbed the App Store charts amid the bitcoin frenzy, Coinbase servers crashed for much of last Thursday, affecting both its website and the iOS app's performance.

Update: Apple appears to have pulled the app from the App Store.

Article Link: Fake 'MyEtherWallet' App Rises to #3 Spot on the iOS App Store's Finance Charts [Updated]
 

Chupa Chupa

macrumors G5
Jul 16, 2002
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raises legal questions in addition to the questions of how it got past Apple's app review process in the first place.

It's pretty easy to imagine a few ways this could have happened: Could be Apple's approval staff is unchanged while app submission rate has materially increased. Could be Apple has increased staff but new staff members are poorly trained. Could be Apple's approval check list doesn't include any mechanism to verify ownership. Plenty of others, but another "teachable moment" for Apple. Hopefully they'll take heed and update internal approval routine to flush stuff like this out. Otherwise what is the point of a "walled garden" App Store? It would be no different than the Google Play jungle.
[doublepost=1513004343][/doublepost]
People who really understand crypto-currencies know to stay the hell away from all of it to begin with.

Someone is getting rich of Bitcoin. I'd say you have it exactly opposite. People who understand know when to get the hell out. It's the rookies looking for a quick buck and don't understand what crypto-currency is that will get killed.
 

69Mustang

macrumors 604
Jan 7, 2014
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In between a rock and a hard place
You'd think that people who have enough knowledge to own crypto-currencies would have enough awareness of these types of scams...
I don't know many who would think they'd be scammed by an app in the App Store. People tend to assume that if it's in the App Store then the app is safe. Scam apps are also usually free so they can capture as many victims as possible. They don't usually have a cost associated with them... 'til after the hook is firmly embedded in the victims cheek.:oops:
 
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RightMACatU

macrumors 65816
Jul 12, 2012
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Cryptocurrencies, wallets, ICOs, mineware and other fake apps like this one are ramping up to be a huge scam (and bubble) that we will remember for decades.
 

mrbobdobolina

macrumors member
Feb 28, 2016
76
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So... on the App store, Nam Le's support page is chariote.com, which is a landing page saying the domain is for sale for $1995...
 
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ersan191

macrumors 68000
Oct 26, 2013
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What an incredibly unprofessional response from MyEtherWallet... "Would appreciate the assistance in getting these scamtards out of our lives..."

You're facilitating the use of hundreds of millions of dollars in crypto, at least make an effort not to use the word "scamtard".
 

heckyeahinmyopinion

macrumors newbie
Apr 26, 2016
9
7
What an incredibly unprofessional response from MyEtherWallet... "Would appreciate the assistance in getting these scamtards out of our lives..."

You're facilitating the use of hundreds of millions of dollars in crypto, at least make an effort not to use the word "scamtard".
Why do they have to be professional? Are they trying to impress someone other than you?
 
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5105973

Cancelled
Sep 11, 2014
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So... on the App store, Nam Le's support page is chariote.com, which is a landing page saying the domain is for sale for $1995...
In my search for photo editing and camera apps, I noticed quite a few questionable developers whose well praised productivity apps I’m studying will also have among their uploads products that look like adware-choked intellectual property clones of popular mainstream apps, mostly games. Some are associated with Asian names so I don’t know if the developer is based in a country that shields them more from IP theft lawsuits. Anyway these factors combined have me wary and I do tend to look at the developer’s portfolio on the App Store and their associated links and contact information before deciding to let something of an unknown quality onto my device.

I’m also on Android and that environment got me used to exercising utmost caution about app downloads.
 
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