Apple Sued After Fake iPhone Wallet App Drained $1.8M in Bitcoin

[Zlantann]

At this time it seems that the issues of fake wallet apps on the app stores of both organizations is out of their control. They may hardly find a concrete solution to this since it seems that they are not willing to do their due diligence before approving an app to be on their store. What they should do instead should be to stop all wallets apps from their store. Rather people who want to download can go online and do that. By doing so they avoid these unfortunate and unnecessary lawsuits against them which in my estimation they are likely to lose.

I am aware that most organisations are using artificial intelligence assistance to conduct security checks on their platforms. I am not saying this was the cause of the problem here since there was no such report from any party. Firing workers and assigning roles to artificial intelligence has its consequences. These AI tools need close monitoring because they have loopholes.

Firms like Apple should have a qualified and active team that constantly scrutinises applications on their platforms. Failure to do their due diligence will keep causing users to lose money.  I think the court will find them guilty since they failed to handle prior warnings.

[348Judah]

That they can Sue apple over this app attack does not solve the problem, all we needed is to ensure we are more aware of what is needed of us, so that we can be able to easily discover any fishy attempt to scam us, the use of some of these store apps that are not legitimate should not be allowed in the first place and I think it is high time for Apple to also check in within their network to know if they are elements perpetrating for such to take place in disguising as their employees.

[JiiBs]

App developers need to be held to higher standards and only then will these corporations actually care about doing anything about the security of their users. Apple does not care about their users as long as there is no change in the profit margins... So I doubt they care about the lawsuit.

Giant corporations need to be regulated differently because they have too much power and the penalties for the actions do not outweigh the profits of those actions. Which is really the main problem.

What you’ve said isn’t far from the truth, if not the absolute truth. These corporations seem not to get the level of trust that comes with the products they expose to users and subscribers of their service. Yes, they might not own the app that was used in these scam activities but, they are certainly a point of exposure, haven’t allowed for its upload and exposed it to its customers.

Unsuspecting users would download these products and user with the notion, it’s from AppStore and should be safe to use. Not knowing AppStore haven’t done any verification what so ever to the credibility of the apps it displays for download by Apple product users.

They need to look into the apps they display for downloads from time to time.

Currently, I can find a fake Wasabi Wallet app in the Apple App Store and also something called Safe3, that is probably trying to trick users into believing they are related to Trezor. One of that wallet’s reviews is from a user who claims their funds were stolen.

The fact that these wallet exist and there are reviews that states the obvious should be more than enough reason for Apple to suspend the download of such apps and do an investigation.

[PX-Z]

Currently, I can find a fake Wasabi Wallet app in the Apple App Store and also something called Safe3, that is probably trying to trick users into believing they are related to Trezor. One of that wallet’s reviews is from a user who claims their funds were stolen.

The fact that these wallet exist and there are reviews that states the obvious should be more than enough reason for Apple to suspend the download of such apps and do an investigation.

Those apps don't just disappear there without reporting it, that's why if you happen see a fake app on such platform either PS or Apple Store, just report it, its just like taking your 20 seconds time's worth. Of course it wont disappear eventually it will be seen and evaluated orderly depends on the queue. But the issue is if you already reported it but after days or even a week its still there. Then there is really a problem on their way of handling reports.

[JiiBs]

Those apps don't just disappear there without reporting it, that's why if you happen see a fake app on such platform either PS or Apple Store, just report it, its just like taking your 20 seconds time's worth. Of course it wont disappear eventually it will be seen and evaluated orderly depends on the queue. But the issue is if you already reported it but after days or even a week its still there. Then there is really a problem on their way of handling reports.

I did a search on AppStore for wasabi wallet and got a result, there is evidently one with zero ratings or review on it. Didn’t bother trying to get to avoid any malware attack.

Checking on the official website wasabiwallet.io it’s boldly written on the front page that, Wasabi wallet isn’t available on mobile and somehow, the return search on AppStore displays an app with over 16+ years age rating for a wallet that was developed around 2015-2018 barely 11years.

These are little details that should project an app to be of no good, even before it’s reported. It shows the complete lack of verification before offering for downloads.

[btcnbegun]

Glowing with in the beginning but later they fail to implement basic security practices to rather not so leniency.

[DYING_S0UL]

Currently, I can find a fake Wasabi Wallet app in the Apple App Store and also something called Safe3, that is probably trying to trick users into believing they are related to Trezor. One of that wallet’s reviews is from a user who claims their funds were stolen.

The fact that these wallet exist and there are reviews that states the obvious should be more than enough reason for Apple to suspend the download of such apps and do an investigation.

Those apps don't just disappear there without reporting it, that's why if you happen see a fake app on such platform either PS or Apple Store, just report it, its just like taking your 20 seconds time's worth. Of course it wont disappear eventually it will be seen and evaluated orderly depends on the queue. But the issue is if you already reported it but after days or even a week its still there. Then there is really a problem on their way of handling reports.

By the time these fake apps are discovered, reported and taken down, we'll see about a lot of users already effected by it. If 10 apps gets taken down today, 20 more comes to replace it tomorrow. That's how serious this fake apps issue has become. They would find some way to bypass/slip these apps into play store and apple store. I had always believed apple store had superiority than play store, when it's comes to detecting fake apps, or preventing bad actors from publishing a fake app there. But now it seems I was wrong. I just hope, there are some ways to prevent this, like setting up harder requirement for app deployment, or making the dev verification process stricter, or post publication monitoring of the apps.

[PX-Z]

... I just hope, there are some ways to prevent this, like setting up harder requirement for app deployment, or making the dev verification process stricter, or post publication monitoring of the apps.

That means they need to allocate additional resources, both funding and manpower, or just man power, to keep these fake apps from appearing and to protect their users. That's the right thing for them to do.

Both the appstore and PS charge developers for publishing apps, whether it's a one time fee for google play or an annual fee for apple. Given that, it's reasonable to expect them to perform proper due diligence and take action against fraudulent apps to prevent similar incidents from happening repeatedly.

That said, the user also has a responsibility to double check the app before downloading it and make sure it's the legitimate one, especially when dealing with financial or cryptocurrency apps.

[DYING_S0UL]

... I just hope, there are some ways to prevent this, like setting up harder requirement for app deployment, or making the dev verification process stricter, or post publication monitoring of the apps.

That means they need to allocate additional resources, both funding and manpower, or just man power, to keep these fake apps from appearing and to protect their users. That's the right thing for them to do.

Both the appstore and PS charge developers for publishing apps, whether it's a one time fee for google play or an annual fee for apple. Given that, it's reasonable to expect them to perform proper due diligence and take action against fraudulent apps to prevent similar incidents from happening repeatedly.

That said, the user also has a responsibility to double check the app before downloading it and make sure it's the legitimate one, especially when dealing with financial or cryptocurrency apps.

Then what's stopping them, lol...? They have enough manpower and funding as it is. At least, it's better than getting sued over and over again for the same reason (for failing to protect it's users from malicious apps).

I'm not really aware of these charges! But even if they decided to set something like $100 or more, scammers wouldn't care. What we really need is a strict screening process, and continuous monitoring.

Yeah, I know it's the users responsibility, but you and I can both agree that (generally) apps coming from official sources are meant to be safe. Back then, iit was a tendency to assume that. At least a few years ago, when these malicious apps at official stores weren't as rampant as they are now.

[RGBTC]

That means they need to allocate additional resources, both funding and manpower, or just man power, to keep these fake apps from appearing and to protect their users. That's the right thing for them to do.

If 100 scammers simultaneously submit 50 distinct app review requests per day, with 45 being legit and only 5 fraudulent ones slipped in. I can't imagine 100 reviewers managing to complete the process, given that they have to handle a new batch of requests the following day. That is just one weakness of the review system; I believe there are other loopholes yet to be identified, and scammers will continue to discover new ones before the system even catches on to the old ones.

[lovesmayfamilis]

I am aware that most organisations are using artificial intelligence assistance to conduct security checks on their platforms. I am not saying this was the cause of the problem here since there was no such report from any party. Firing workers and assigning roles to artificial intelligence has its consequences. These AI tools need close monitoring because they have loopholes.

Firms like Apple should have a qualified and active team that constantly scrutinises applications on their platforms. Failure to do their due diligence will keep causing users to lose money.  I think the court will find them guilty since they failed to handle prior warnings.

If we often say that everything can be "bought", maybe it's worth thinking about why fake wallets are hosted? Maybe they get into the Apple Store for large sums, thereby "turning a blind eye" to the authenticity of the software? After all, this is not the first case of such complaints. It is also worth thinking about those "qualified employees," who allow the placement of fake applications. There can be only two sides to this: either incompetence or greed. Some people often have their own price (especially in cases where their capabilities are high enough), maybe this story is not accidental, and someone earned a lot from this scam (besides scammers), and perhaps a lot of money. If a company hires such people, such a complaint will not be the last one, right?

Then what's stopping them, lol...? They have enough manpower and funding as it is. At least, it's better than getting sued over and over again for the same reason (for failing to protect it's users from malicious apps).

I'm not really aware of these charges! But even if they decided to set something like $100 or more, scammers wouldn't care. What we really need is a strict screening process, and continuous monitoring.

Yeah, I know it's the users responsibility, but you and I can both agree that (generally) apps coming from official sources are meant to be safe. Back then, iit was a tendency to assume that. At least a few years ago, when these malicious apps at official stores weren't as rampant as they are now.

If we talk about staff and employees... then there will always be a choice based on passions... someone can sometimes be very susceptible to gifts.

This process can often involve subjectivity, creating frustrations for developers. Furthermore, employees in developer relations play a crucial role in promoting tools and technologies to app developers and acting as a point of contact when developers encounter issues securing Apple's approval for their apps or updates.

Apple maintains strict rules regarding contact with developers. Employees in app review and editorial roles are required to seek prior approval for meetings with developers. In contrast, employees in developer relations and business management can meet with developers but must avoid accepting expensive gifts or meals.

https://appleinsider.com/articles/23/10/18/china-app-store-employees-fired-over-relationships-with-developers

It seems like a similar story

[Floxynice]

Currently, I can find a fake Wasabi Wallet app in the Apple App Store and also something called Safe3, that is probably trying to trick users into believing they are related to Trezor. One of that wallet’s reviews is from a user who claims their funds were stolen.

The fact that these wallet exist and there are reviews that states the obvious should be more than enough reason for Apple to suspend the download of such apps and do an investigation.

Those apps don't just disappear there without reporting it, that's why if you happen see a fake app on such platform either PS or Apple Store, just report it, its just like taking your 20 seconds time's worth. Of course it wont disappear eventually it will be seen and evaluated orderly depends on the queue. But the issue is if you already reported it but after days or even a week its still there. Then there is really a problem on their way of handling reports.

By the time these fake apps are discovered, reported and taken down, we'll see about a lot of users already effected by it. If 10 apps gets taken down today, 20 more comes to replace it tomorrow. That's how serious this fake apps issue has become. They would find some way to bypass/slip these apps into play store and apple store. I had always believed apple store had superiority than play store, when it's comes to detecting fake apps, or preventing bad actors from publishing a fake app there. But now it seems I was wrong. I just hope, there are some ways to prevent this, like setting up harder requirement for app deployment, or making the dev verification process stricter, or post publication monitoring of the apps.

I honestly do not think that this issue of fake apps in Apple store is something that Apple cannot fix. This is just an act of negligence because they can actually tighten their verification process or carry out some kind of automated scanning and many other measures they can put in place to prevent scammers from invading. Apple is too big for it's image and reputation to be tarnished with reports like this and I won't also appreciate reading stuffs like "scammers are smarter, they will device new means". There are loopholes already which I am convinced that they can be fixed if Apple is truly serious about addressing the issues.

Now that they have been sued, I just want to sit back here and observe what changes will be made. I know that with this reports on ground already, Apple will be on their toes.

[xha-256]

Apple is too big for it's image and reputation to be tarnished with reports like this

It already is. This kind of incident isn't just the first time, even way back 2012. They just doesn't know how to learn from their mistakes, then another on 2015. And first time for crypto, is the fake trezor way back 2021.

I hope the victims who sued Apple wins and bagged lot of $$$ so Apple will be more responsible on their actions lol.

Code:

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/apples-first-app-store-malware-now-history-flna866677
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-34311203
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/03/30/trezor-scam-bitcoin-1-million/

[Rikafip]

This kind of incident isn't just the first time, even way back 2012. They just doesn't know how to learn from their mistakes, then another on 2015. And first time for crypto, is the fake trezor way back 2021.

And is certainly not the last time that fake app appears on their store because no matter what they do, someone will always find a way. That's just hw these things work.

I hope the victims who sued Apple wins and bagged lot of $$$ so Apple will be more responsible on their actions lol.

Afaik no one managed to beat them in court on a similar cases, so its going to be hard. Probably the best they can hope for is some sort of settlement.

[Floxynice]

Apple is too big for it's image and reputation to be tarnished with reports like this

It already is. This kind of incident isn't just the first time, even way back 2012. They just doesn't know how to learn from their mistakes, then another on 2015. And first time for crypto, is the fake trezor way back 2021.

I hope the victims who sued Apple wins and bagged lot of $$$ so Apple will be more responsible on their actions lol.

Code:

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/apples-first-app-store-malware-now-history-flna866677
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-34311203
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/03/30/trezor-scam-bitcoin-1-million/

Oh really? Here I am thinking that this is the first time a thing like this is happening with Apple, I also wish that these guys win against Apple so Apple will truly learn this time around. Apple doesn't really know what they are doing to their brand until they lose their credibility.

It is very clear now that we investors cannot rely on anyone to protect us from scammers and hackers. If we must download apps from Apple, playstore and any other place, then we must put in extra effort to verify that the app we are downloading is the original version. Infact, downloads should only be made from official websites.

[qwertyup23]

Security checks and verifications done by Google and. Apple is very poor. You can get really low ranking pages getting indexed when you search for a topic and fake apps getting in and staying there even after reports.

I also believe that if you are purchasing that value of crypto into the wallet you should be doing your extensive research before using any one, thiswill teach you how to download from the official source and verify signatures. There are also some other simpler ways, although not foolproof that can help you detect such apps. Also test with a small amount first and wait for sometime before you send the full portfolio.

If this were the case, then Apple is indeed in trouble with this. Given that they control the platform in which users can download applications, there is a presumption that any application that shows on the Appstore is indeed genuine. Either the scammers found a loophole that circumvented the security measures that Apple installed; OR such security feature is just poor and vulnerable to be penetrated by these scammers.

Either way, however, Apple would be liable in someway given that users tend to trust the Appstore in showcasing at least genuine applications. They still have the final say and last resort of security.

That means they need to allocate additional resources, both funding and manpower, or just man power, to keep these fake apps from appearing and to protect their users. That's the right thing for them to do.

If 100 scammers simultaneously submit 50 distinct app review requests per day, with 45 being legit and only 5 fraudulent ones slipped in. I can't imagine 100 reviewers managing to complete the process, given that they have to handle a new batch of requests the following day. That is just one weakness of the review system; I believe there are other loopholes yet to be identified, and scammers will continue to discover new ones before the system even catches on to the old ones.

Apple is a trillion-dollar empire. I am pretty sure they can implement features that can at least withstand the huge number of scammers that submit applications per day. They can easily hire or devise a way that can at least prevent these kinds of incidents from happening.

Assuming for the sake of argument that one slips in, still, they can be held liable for any loss sustaining on the side of the consumer given that the latter relies on the presumption that Apple does their due diligence.

[Baki202]

That they can Sue apple over this app attack does not solve the problem, all we needed is to ensure we are more aware of what is needed of us, so that we can be able to easily discover any fishy attempt to scam us, the use of some of these store apps that are not legitimate should not be allowed in the first place and I think it is high time for Apple to also check in within their network to know if they are elements perpetrating for such to take place in disguising as their employees.

And the money is actually a very large sum, and I believe that everyone should be extremely cautious at this point because scammers always find a way to avoid becoming victims. I have witnessed scammers taking advantage of people, so we just need to avoid a lot of apps when it comes to keeping your coin because some people will save it in the wallet. Scammers can still act corny because that is what they know how to do best, which is to steal from people. I wonder if the desire for money has made many people callous.

Additionally, holders now have a lot of responsibilities; even after making a purchase, they must take care of themselves because purchasing is not the only issue. Managing them is crucial because, although some people believe that the market is the only issue, there are other issues as well, and we must recognize our responsibilities as holders. Since you will ultimately lose them to theft or the market, it will be a sad circumstance if you purchase them.

[sokani]

Whenever users lose their funds to fake applications on the App Store. Apple will announce the removal of the malicious app from the Apple store, but the victims will bear the losses. It's high time Apple is held accountable for its negligence. I hope the lawsuit will go in favour of the plaintiffs. Maybe this will serve as a wake-up call for Apple to do better in protecting its marketplace from scammers.

[GlobalPayout]

A fake wallet that passes App Store review with a 16+ age rating and no developer verification behind it is not an edge case, it is the standard failure mode right now. Two minutes of matching the developer name against the official project website would have flagged both lookalikes before a single user lost money. The victim reports stacked right under each listing show that the community notices these clones long before Apple does anything about them. Until the review side starts checking who actually publishes these apps, users only have one working filter left, confirming the source of the app directly with the project itself before installing anything.