How do obvious scam apps make it to top 10 paid in iOS App Store?

2 points by d_r 15y ago ↗ HN

If you've used an iPhone, you must've seen applications that claim to "improve your battery life" or "track any cell phone in the world using sophisticated government-level technology" in top positions in the store. The latter app, for instance, is a prank that only find location of your own phone.

Current top 10 includes "Fingerprint Protector," an app that claims to add a fingerprint scanner to your phone, with a long convincing description and one sentence mentioning that it's a prank. The description ends with "It works. Guaranteed 100%!!!!!!"

Usually these apps have a small number of reviews (most one star, of course.) It seems like these apps fall off (or get killed?) periodically and then come back with another name and a similar description.

In this case, a scammer is likely netting thousands $ per day while some hard-working developers on this board may be struggling to promote their apps.

Or perhaps no "blackhat" tactics are at play and the users are just gullible and buy anything that sounds catchy.

Other applications by the same developer: http://www.appannie.com/company/appforall/

1 comment

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mapu 15y ago ↗

I agree with you. Alot of the applications seem to contradict themselves with massive descriptions on the features it contains, then because of the clause in which they say (this is only a toy) it somehow exempts them from providing any actual features that they have listed.

I wonder though, if any people are actually flagging these apps for apple to review and if so, why aren't they being audited and amended to show a true description of what the app really does.

I think the major issue is people's general lack of reading and research before they purchase these apps. They will read the brief description and think it's some savvy app.

BUYERS BEWARE! You must always read the full description!!!!