Report Reveals In-App Purchase Scams in the App Store

[5105973]

An interesting thought for those that don't understand how people get scammed by this - what is the "get out of this screen button" in iOS? The home button. Now, what is the "I want to purchase this" gesture? There you go, trying to not purchase a thing and you accidentally purchase it (And maybe don't even know because they left the app)

That combined with in-app subscriptions being buried in the users iTunes settings means a lot of people not knowing how to cancel.

That's a very good and interesting insight. I'm currently posting from my Galaxy S8+. I've been using Android for several months now and I've gotten very used to either the app switching "button" or the back "button" getting me out of poor app navigation interfaces or pop up ads that get past my ad block and hijack my browsing session.

Additionally, on the Samsung at least, payment authentication methods are separate from navigational controls. In my experience so far it's quite difficult to accidentally purchase something on my Android phone. (On the other hand, in app ads on an Android can be extremely obnoxious to the point of acting like a virus infestation. I have mercifully been spared that but my husband got an app like that once.)

I think Apple should consider incorporating additional navigation keys separate from authentication buttons/sensors in future editions of iOS.

I know Steve Jobs was enamored of a one button suits all purposes design. But such simplicity is increasingly becoming stifling when people grow used to having options or find themselves in situations in which they need options.

 

[nelsonammo]

It's fraud 100%. Apple APPROVED this app to appear on the app store. They need to police their own app store better and refund the victims.

 

[Tech198]

Thanks !

wow... what a lot of zeros.... I'm rich !!!

 

[epca12]

I can see that being very easily paid by accident especially with how fast touch ID is now

 

[Moi Ici]

I don't understand how people can live in modern society but are incapable to even read this short popup to realize they are being scammed hard.

There are a lot of people (older people, people not computer savvy) given iPads in lieu of computers etc. because they are "easy/safe". This kind of scam is aimed directly at them.
"Ohhh, my tablet might get infected as per this app's description" "I remember my old windows pc etc was always getting viruses" " best download, it's safe to do so because it's an Apple and my kids etc told me this was a safe tablet".

 

[VulchR]

I am sorry but I don't get where the "fraud" is here. Is it sneaky and over priced? Yes. But many of the replies are saying its fraud to offer antivirus on iOS. There are many anti-virus programs on iOS - https://technofizi.net/top-best-anti-virus-for-iphone-ipad-ios-free-download/ . I would not install one, but they are legitimate programs. Just because in theory a virus can't directly attack an iPhone doesn't mean that it can't be a carrier. A real anti-virus program will prevent the transfer of viruses through the system as well.

The same situation is true for every OS platform now. Microsoft ships Windows 10 with all the antivirus it needs, but people still spend millions on antivirus programs. That doesn't make it fraud. Anyone with half a brain would look at the title of the app and probably conclude if they wanted antivirus that this is not the best one to get. That said, the ratings on the app are not all terrible, so there is some level of satisfaction with it.

The story in this post said that he installed the app, and a short time later was prompted to enroll in the subscription. That sounds like it ran for some period of time for free, and then did the prompt. That sounds like a trial to me. At the point of the prompt, he could have simply hit cancel and uninstalled the app.

$99 a week? Seriously? That's pure fraud, for what of value justified that price?

 

[charlituna]

Hold your finger for 3 seconds to pay rule and problem solved.

only works if you are smart enough to know things like how you don't need anti virus for iOS. like those ad ware virus alerts they are counting on folks being idiots.
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$99 a week? Seriously? That's pure fraud, for what of value justified that price?

what of value justified that stupid "I am rich" app. nothing. and once folks complained Apple cut the app

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I disagree. It's on Apple if they are informed and fail to act.

You can disagree all you like. But the App Store is not an open bazaar. Apple has taken itself to be the Customs Inspector for the iOS App Store. It is the one selling iOS as malware and shenanigan-free zone by doing so. So if Apple didn't properly inspect they were informed and did fail to act. If this was something only available on jail broken apps then it would be outside Apple's ability to secure. But that's not what happened here.

 

[shadowmatt]

Just goes to show how scummy Apple has got since their runaway success. They could have people investigating apps which trend in strange ways, something similar to what the journalist did. Apple could take a second look at apps that charge ludicrous amounts of money, as they don't usually come fro legit sources.

Instead they probably pay more money to accountants trying to figure out the best ways to hide money offshore.

 

[Ploki]

How is this generalizing please explain? I said
I can't remember last time I downloaded an app. My experience. I was speaking about me.

"Hope people wise up to this"
after a long sentence about not buying anything appeared as if you were implying that people should wise up to not buying anything in the app store, as opposed to buying responsibly and wisely.

 

[LERsince1991]

I've reported apps like this for years, they dont get taken down, they get ignored by Apple. The App Store is riddled with fake apps impersonating others or entirely non-functional scams. I expect Apple knows this and thats why they highlighted "App Store Cleanup" in their latest keynote.

 

[ErnestPWorrell]

Blocking cartoon frogs are more important to Apple than blocking scams.

 

[apolloa]

So Apple, the third biggest corporation on the planet, that controls all its own services itself with endless resources still lacks in security of apps. Not really suprising, does Apple not get its 30% cut from this 80 grand a month sales?

Either way a very poor showing by Apple here, it yet again shows how they do not properly vet apps like they claim to, unless they are losing money from them that is by someone circumventing the payment rules!
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Reading the linked article, it seems the scammers are (ab)using the new advertising within the App Store to promote their "apps" and making thousands and thousands of dollars doing so.
Doesn't really reflect well on Apple IMO - the whole purpose of the walled garden is that it's safer than the wild west approach of Google and that should include protecting people from getting scammed

I thought Google vetted their apps also though, those that you buy from the Google Play Store anyway.

 

[mi7chy]

This is the only way to make money on Apple App Store since marketshare is too small to make money off of legitimate apps. We will be seeing more of these scams unfortunately.

 

[vladi]

Reason why subscriptions should not be allowed through App Store.

 

[joelvega125]

Hold your finger for 3 seconds to pay rule and problem solved.

Or just press cancel...

 

[DragoniteD]

Maybe Apple should do a strong (manual) investigation into an app that offers recurring IAPs that exceed a certain level of spending that is out of the norm.

Same for one-time purchases too maybe.

Glassed Silver:mac

yep agree. However this $99/7day app is so weird that I cannot believe it can make its way to the App Store at the first place. It's hard to believe that there is no story behind it.

 

[Abazigal]

And your snide remark in no way changes the fact that Apple customers are being scammed.........doesn't matter, as some here think, that those scammed are gullible or naive. Those are the very sections of society that deserve a degree of protection. Someone like you who clearly thinks themselves superior I'm sure has never made a mistake they regret.
[doublepost=1497282876][/doublepost]
And

and those who like running their mouth....

And I believe the best way to protect these people lie in educating and informing them, so they can then take the appropriate countermeasures to keep themselves safe.

I am not saying the two are mutually exclusive. Once again, I stress that Apple can and should do more, but people here make it seem like Apple is to be 100% to blame.

I make mistakes. All the time. And what's important is that we learn from our mistakes, and use these as opportunities to reflect and become wiser for it.

A point which seems to have gone over everyone's head in their rush to chastise Apple.

 

[lazard]

Reason why subscriptions should not be allowed through App Store.

Apple would never do that...their 30% cut is too lucrative.

 

[MacsRgr8]

I don't understand how people can live in modern society but are incapable to even read this short popup to realize they are being scammed hard.

Because they are also lead to believe that the App Store is 100% reliable.

How often de people simply click on something without reading thoroughly...? iTunes EULA..? And, did you read $99.99 or $0.99 etc.?

 

[jkruehne]

as far as I remember there was an app years ago, called "I am rich", priced at 999,99 (?)
it was thrown out of the store even the description said exactly what it does (or not does

hmm, I would never allowed to remove it, cause it was honestly telling the truth (as far as I remember)

but here... how can some one trust apples review?
and at least apple should pay back their 30% to the customers in this case …

Lorem ipsum

 

[Shirasaki]

It is $99 per week. It isn't even in the same ballpark as those subscriptions. I suspect every single person who clicks on it doesn't read the $99.99 correctly. They read it as $0.99 per week. And then they figure they can cancel if they don't like it.

But "cancel" is not the equivalent of "refund" unless they confirm that is a scam.

 

[travelsheep]

"stringent approval process" .. lol ... 13 million developers who pay $ 100 per year each ... plus the 30 % cut on the apps, that's the main point here. The more the merrier, keep barriers low and the money coming in.

 

[btrach144]

Disappointing that Apple didn't catch this in their review process. I'd prefer waiting longer for apps and app updates if it means keeping the App store integrity high.

 

[TallManNY]

But "cancel" is not the equivalent of "refund" unless they confirm that is a scam.

Right. People misread it. I'm sure not a single person actually clicks on this thinking they are going to pay $99 for one week of service. I bet the first versions of this App had the price $0.99 for a month (which would not have raised red flags at Apple) and then an update was inserted that changed the price. Or some code was buried somewhere in it that changed the price automatically after a certain date.
[doublepost=1497377461][/doublepost]

yep agree. However this $99/7day app is so weird that I cannot believe it can make its way to the App Store at the first place. It's hard to believe that there is no story behind it.

My guess, is that it was not priced at this level initially and that updates are reviewed less closely.