Our smartphones are great devices, allowing us to do many things while on the go. We have many cool apps to thank for that as these effectively extend the capabilities of our phones and tablets — allowing us to do things that were just recently not possible.
Alas, not all apps are made equal and there are even those that are designed to cause harm. These scam apps come in various forms and are often disguised as harmless apps. In fact, according to a recent analysis by The Washington Post – nearly 2% of the 1,000 top-grossing App Store apps were scams.
Scam app types
Here are some scam app types you must know about so that you can protect yourself:
Imitation apps
Imitation or knockoff apps mimic other popular apps to mislead users into downloading them by mistake. They could also cost some money whereas the original title could be free. This is the case with “Angry Birds” which has a few imitation apps in Google’s Play Store.
Fleeceware apps
These sort of apps come with high fees while offering little to no functionality. An example discovered by The Washington Post is a QR code reader app which for some reason is not free since many smartphones come with this capability out of the box. Or there are many free solutions to choose from. The particular fleeceware app The Washington Post has identified had made $879,000 off App Store customers. That’s a lot of money for an app that is otherwise free.
Scareware apps
Developers of the so-called scareware apps use ads that scare users of viruses, showing them false messages about virus threats. From there on, users are led to download an app that would fix the problem. Aside from scareware apps promoting anti-virus solutions, we are sad to say that there are also those promoting VPNs.
Fake dating apps
These sorts of apps are only free to download, letting you browse as many profiles as you want. However, the moment you want to engage someone, you will see a message asking you to upgrade to a paid/premium service. Since the app doesn’t offer the full functionality out of the box, we call it a scam.
Fake crypto apps
Last but not least considering the meteoric rise of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, we have fake crypto apps. These have been growing like mushrooms after the rain, promising unrealistic earnings for pennies. And you know how they say – if it’s too good to be true, chances are that is indeed the case.
How to know if an app is a scam?
There are a few simple things to look out for to protect yourself against scam apps:
1. Check out those ratings
Even though an app has great ratings that doesn’t mean it’s great at all. Savvy scammers use dummy accounts in order to add credibility to their creations and in many cases, they get away with that. What you want to check/read are reviews. Many single sentence reviews present a red flag and the same goes for a low number of downloads. It is hard to create 10 or 100 thousand fake accounts, and the best legit apps really have that many users. Unlike their fake “counterparts.”
2. Verify the app’s listing
This is especially important for identifying imitation apps that look similar to original apps. You’ll want to check the developer’s name and perhaps even click on it to see all the apps they have made. From there on, you will be able to determine whether this developer is really behind the app you’re looking for or just a savvy scammer. Additionally, check out the social media links the developer provided and try to determine whether this is indeed the company that made the app you want.
3. Stick with reputable developers
While we don’t like what the likes of Google and Facebook (Meta) are doing, we do trust they will do what they say. After all, they are not hiding their intention to follow users across the Internet (the part we don’t like). And the same goes for many reputable companies that have been in business for 5 years and longer. In most cases, they don’t want to destroy their reputation with a single app. On the other hand, scammers don’t have these “problems.”
4. Don’t pay a fortune for an app
These days most apps are either free or come with in-app purchases. So the initial download as well as the basic functionality (or a few levels) comes with no initial cost. In sharp contrast, we have seen scam apps selling for $10, $20 and even $50. This isn’t the price a reputable company will charge out of the box. You may still end up paying more thanks to the in-app purchases, but that’s a lot of money for the initial payment for an app or game.
Give back to the world and report scam apps
If you do end up being scammed by an app, make sure to report that to Google or Apple, depending on the device you have. This way you will help make the world a slightly better place. Sure enough, the same developer may launch a similar app next week, but this round goes to you. 😉