If you have an iPhone or iPad, beware of bogus streaming apps. According to Kosta Eleftheriou, developer at Apple, the latter lure their victims using film trailers to make them buy codes and premium subscriptions. Despite the security features of the App Store, they would touch up to $ 6 million per year.
For users, downloading an application on their iPhone is rarely risk free. There are first of all those who collect, with all due honor, a large amount of personal data, sometimes even unexpected like Facebook which collects information from the accelerometer. Then, of course, there are those who, more or less without knowing it, understand big security holes endangering the integrity of the smartphone. Every day, millions like these are downloaded.
And then, finally, there are those who are simply trying to rip you off. Despite the security features of the App Store, many of them fall through the cracks. Kosta Eleftheriou, developer at Apple, warns in particular against fake streaming apps which abound in the store. To attract their victims, the latter use film trailers and boast of offering many features.
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Beware of these bogus streaming apps on the App Store
It is by downloading these applications that the pot aux roses is revealed. These indeed encourage users to spend their money in codes that are supposed to unlock the features previously promised. Victims can also take out so-called subscriptions, the benefits of which they will never see. These also put Apple in the panade, because the firm can touch up to 30% commission on the income generated.
“While Apple fails to control its App Store, these apps have racked up over 2 million downloads and now generate around 16,000 downloads per day, or roughly $ 6 million per year.”, specifies Kosta Eleftheriou. According to him, these applications have been present for months on the online store, and this, although many negative comments warn users against the scam.
Eric Friedman, head of fraud and risk engineering algorithms at Apple, said the App Store security system looks like “More to the pretty lady who greets you at Hawaii airport than to a drug sniffer dog”. Note that the developers of these applications go so far as to call on influencers with millions of followers to promote them.
Source: The Sun