7 million iPhone users urged to remove these 84 scammy apps charging them quietly
Apple has a tight grip over which apps iPhone owners can use. iOS users can only download apps from the App Store. The company also takes a 30 percent commission from developers. Despite these measures - which many believe are unfair - that have seemingly been designed to keep users safe, many fraudulent apps are still there on Apple's official applications store.
Apple refuses to do anything about a good number of fraudulent apps
According to VPN reviews site Vpncheck, Apple has done nothing about the majority of 133 fraudulent apps that Avast found in March 2021. As of that time, they had been downloaded 500 million times and brought in revenue of $365 million.
15 months later, 84 of those apps are still present on the App Store. These apps are called fleeceware and have been designed to dupe you out of money. So while there is nothing malicious in their code and they don't steal your data, they are still quite dangerous because they come with hidden excessive fees and charges.
According to Vpncheck's estimate, they scam users out of $100 million annually. The apps have been downloaded 7.2 million times and generate revenue of $8.6 million every month.
It's not that hard to identify apps like these. Most of them are entertainment apps such as virtual musical tools or utilities like flashlights and calculators. They can also be lurking beneath fortune-telling apps, photo or video filters or editors, volume boosters, quiz-based games, or wallpapers. Another tell-tale sign is a flood of paid 5-star reviews posted with bogus reviewer names to hide genuine lower-rated reviews.
These apps lure users with a free trial period even though it's normally easy to find a free alternative. They come with hidden costs and may charge you multiple times or charge a higher amount at checkout. On top of that, they have been designed such that it's very hard to unsubscribe from their services, so they may continue billing you even after you uninstall them. Also, be wary of false advertisements that claim the app has been recommended by Apple.
If you have downloaded any of the 84 apps and are unable to unsubscribe, it's best to ask your bank to stop processing any payment requests made by them.
Here are there names:
- Frames - Picture Collage Maker
- Facelab - Face Editor & Beauty
- TeasEar: ASMR Slime Antistress
- Nebula: Horoscope & Astrology
- Astroline: The Daily Horoscope
- FLMX - Video Editor
- Stickerfy: Sticker Maker
- Pixomatic - Background eraser
- SpeedPro Slow speed video edit
- Music Zen - Relaxing Sounds
- Sticker Maker - BeSticky
- Photo To Sketch - Drawing book
- Mood Balance: Self Care Tracker
- Presets for Lightroom - Vidl
- Jigsaw Puzzle - Brain Games
- Lift: Story Maker
- Dazzle - Insta stories editor
- Baby Sticker- Track Milestones
- Life Palmistry - AI Palm & Tag
- Photoly Remove Object & Editor
- Facetory: Face Yoga & Exercise
- VOCHI Video Effects Editor
- Lucky Life - Future Seer
- Dazz Cam- D3D Photo Effect
- Beat.ly Music Video Maker
- UltraFX - Effect Video Maker
- Girl Games: Unicorn Slime
- Impresso - Insta Story Editor
- PDF Scanner: Document Scan
- Dizzi - Photo & Video Effects
- Hyper Cleaner: Clean Phone
- Highlight Story Cover Maker!
- Cartoons Me - Photo Art Editor
- Sweet Pics - Baby Photo Edito
- Slimy: Anxiety Relief Slime 3D
- Frame - Slideshow Video Maker
- Auto Sticker Maker Studio
- iCons - Icon Changer App +
- ToonApp Cartoon Photo Editor
- MagicFX - Magic Video Effects
- Horoscope 2019 and Palm Reader
- Handset - Second Phone Number
- SlidePic - Slideshow Maker
- Astro+ Horoscope & Astrology
- FaceMe－Fun Personality Tests
- Widget PLUS+ - Photo & Weather
- aipic - Magic Photo Editor
- Path - Horoscope & Astrology
- Photo Collage - Collageable
- Hub - Story Templates Maker
- iWidget Pro : Custom widgets
- Video Puzzles - Magic Puzzle
- Menu Maker!
- edjing Mix - dj
- Guitar - Chords, Tabs & Games
- Piano - Lessons & Tiles Games
- WeDrum: Drums, Real Drum Games
- Metronome - Tap Tempo & Rhythm
- Guitar Tuner - Ukulele & Bass
- Guitar - real games & lessons
- Drums: Play Beats & Drum Games
- Beat maker pro - DJ Drum Pad
- Karaoke Songs - Voice Singing
- Piano Crush - Keyboard Games
- edjing Pro - music remix maker
- DJ it! - Music Mixer Pad
- Jambl: DJ Band & Beat Maker
- Guitar Play - Games & Songs
- Memoristo: Brain Test, IQ Game
- Loop Maker Pro - Music Maker
- Metronome Pro - Beat & Tempo
- Equalizer+ HD music player
- Bass Booster Volume Power Amp
- Equalizer Fx: Bass Booster App
- ScanGuru: PDF Document Scanner
- Drink Water ∙ Daily Reminder
- Password Manager - Lock Apps
- Live Wallpaper Maker: 4K Theme
- RECOLLECT: Color by Number
- Avatar Maker Character Creator
- Translator Guru: Voice & Text
- Ringtones HD ∙ Ringtone Maker
- Scanner App ∙ Scan & Sign PDF
- Translate Camera - Speak On
So, why is not Apple removing these apps from the App Store?
Given how easy it is to spot these apps, it appears that Apple cares more about its 30 percent cut, search ads business, and App Store profitability than protecting users from scammy apps, or so thinks Vpncheck.
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Things that are NOT allowed: