Editor
Celine Low chevron_right
From ordering food, playing games, to managing our finances — our smartphones are packed with apps. And for iPhone users, the App Store is the go-to place for all these digital goodies.
But have you ever stopped to think about how safe it really is? With so many stories about online scams and fake apps floating around, it's natural to be a bit worried. So, how does Apple fight back? The company employs a comprehensive arsenal of tactics to combat fraud and protect its users, leading to some truly remarkable figures.
Billions in Fraud Blocked
Since it first launched in 2008, the App Store has aimed to be a safe haven for users and a thriving marketplace for app developers worldwide. But keeping it that way is a constant uphill battle against scammers and fraudsters.
Apple's recent fraud analysis shows just how serious this is. In the last five years alone, the App Store has protected users by preventing over US$9 billion (that's roughly RM42.8 billion) in fraudulent transactions. And get this: over US$2 billion (about RM9.5 billion) of that was in 2024 alone!
Apple’s strong antifraud infrastructure can flag and remove suspicious accounts. In 2024 alone:
- They terminated 146,000 developer accounts.
- 139,000 new developer applications were rejected due to fraud.
- They also blocked 711 million fake customer accounts from being created and deactivated nearly 129 million existing dodgy accounts used for spam or fake reviews.
Beyond the App Store, Apple actively fights against "pirate storefronts" — those dodgy websites distributing risky software. In 2024, they blocked over 10,000 illegitimate apps (including malware and pirated versions) from these unofficial sites, and even stopped 4.6 million attempts to install apps from these sources just last month.
How App Review Keeps Your Phone Safe
Before any app reaches your iPhone, Apple's App Review team vets it. These are real people, supported by automated systems, reviewing nearly 150,000 app submissions every week!
In 2024:
- Out of 7.7 million submissions, over 1.9 million were rejected for not meeting security, privacy, or user experience standards.
- They removed 37,000 apps for fraudulent activity.
- They caught apps trying to be sneaky by hiding features, rejecting 43,000 submissions.
- Another 320,000 submissions were rejected for being scammy, spammy, or misleading.
- 400,000 apps were rejected for trying to access personal data without permission.
Protecting Your Money
Besides preventing suspicious apps, it's also about protecting your money and ensuring a fair App Store experience.
They prevented over RM9.5 billion in fraudulent transactions in 2024 alone. When you use Apple Pay, your actual card number is never stored on your device or Apple's servers, and it's never shared with developers. Last year, they even identified nearly 4.7 million stolen credit cards and banned over 1.6 million accounts from making any more transactions.
Ever wondered if those five-star reviews are real? Apple also takes measures to stop bots and fake services that try to artificially inflate app download numbers or post fake reviews. In 2024, they processed over 1.2 billion ratings and reviews and removed more than 143 million fraudulent ones! They also removed over 7,400 apps from App Store charts and nearly 9,500 from search results for being deceptive.
Apple provides developers with world-class payment tools like Apple Pay and StoreKit, making your in-app purchases secure and easy to manage, with every transaction encrypted and verified.
Stay updated with ProductNation on here, Instagram & TikTok as well.
News sources: Apple Newsroom
More related recommendations: