Hundreds of fake retail and product apps have popped up in Apple’s App Store in recent weeks — just in time to deceive holiday shoppers.
Fake apps pose a serious risk
Head of Cloaker Apps says
According to security experts
Fake apps pose a serious risk
Entering credit card information opens a customer to potential financial fraud. Some fake apps contain malware that can steal personal information or even lock the phone until the user pays a ransom. And some fakes encourage users to log in using their Facebook credentials, potentially exposing sensitive personal information.
The rogue apps, most of which came from developers in China, slipped through Apple’s process for reviewing every app before it is published.
The rogue apps, most of which came from developers in China, slipped through Apple’s process for reviewing every app before it is published.
Head of Cloaker Apps says
The Chinese app developer, Cloaker Apps, created both fake Ugg apps on behalf of Chinese clients.
Jack Lin, who identified himself as the head of Cloaker, said in a phone interview in China that his company provides the back-end technology for thousands of apps but does not investigate its clients.
“We hope that our clients are all official sellers,” he said. “If they are using these brands, we need some kind of authorization, then we will provide services.”
Mr. Lin said Cloaker charged about 20,000 renminbi — about $3,000 — for an app written in English.
But like so many of the apps his company produces, Cloaker is not what it purports to be. Its website is filled with dubious claims, such as the location of its headquarters, which it says is at an address smack in the middle of Facebook’s campus in Menlo Park, Calif.
Jack Lin, who identified himself as the head of Cloaker, said in a phone interview in China that his company provides the back-end technology for thousands of apps but does not investigate its clients.
“We hope that our clients are all official sellers,” he said. “If they are using these brands, we need some kind of authorization, then we will provide services.”
Mr. Lin said Cloaker charged about 20,000 renminbi — about $3,000 — for an app written in English.
But like so many of the apps his company produces, Cloaker is not what it purports to be. Its website is filled with dubious claims, such as the location of its headquarters, which it says is at an address smack in the middle of Facebook’s campus in Menlo Park, Calif.
According to security experts
China is by far the biggest source of fake apps.
