If you have an iPhone or iPad, beware of fake iOS 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 risk-free. First of all, there are 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 which, more or less without knowing it, include large security flaws that endanger 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 applications that abound on the store. To attract their victims, the latter use film trailers and boast of offering many features.
Fake streaming apps scam 2 million iOS users
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It is by downloading these applications that the trick is revealed. These indeed encourage users to spend their money on codes supposed to unlock the features promised previously. Victims can also take out so-called subscriptions, the benefits of which they will never see. These also put Apple in the parade, because the firm can receive up to 30% commission on the income generated.
“While Apple does not manage to control its App Store, these applications have accumulated more than 2 million downloads; and now generate about 16,000 downloads per day, or about $ 6 million per year,” says Kosta Eleftheriou. According to him, these applications have been present on the online store for months; 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 “more like the pretty lady who greets you at the Hawaii airport than 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.
It is worth mentioning that recently, severe software issues were found in iPhone 13. Due to flaws in iOS 15, Apple’s latest flagships have lost the noise cancellation feature, which cuts out background noise during a phone call. This feature debuted in the iPhone 4 in 2010 and works successfully on all Apple smartphones up to and including the iPhone 12.
