Sketchy ChatGPT app soars up app store charts

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https://www.macrumors.com/2023/01/09/chatgpt-app-store-apps/

A sketchy app claiming to be the bot ChatGPT has soared up App Store charts, charging users a $7.99 weekly subscription to use a service that is entirely free to use on the web and seemingly has no affiliation to the actual bot. ChatGPT has soared in popularity recently, with some calling it the "iPhone moment" for AI, given its mainstream appeal. ChatGPT can articulate short and long-form responses when given a simple prompt, such as to write an email, essay, message, and more. The bot has seen its popularity grow with students and those in academia who have used it for research and assignments. ChatGPT is free to use on the web for anyone with an OpenAI account, but it has inspired scammers and sketchy developers to take advantage of its popularity for ill-gained profit.

One app in particular, named "ChatGPT Chat GPT AI With GPT-3," gives the impression it is the official app for the ChatGPT bot, but appears to have no affiliation to Open AI, the creators of ChatGPT, or the bot itself.The app is currently the second most popular productivity app on the App Store in the United States, indicating it is rather popular. The app has nearly 12,000 ratings, with a number of positive and negative reviews. "This is a fake app," one review said. "This is just faking openai endorsement and more bad stuff," another user said. Despite its suspicious activity, presence, and soaring popularity, the app has passed Apple's ‌App Store‌ review process multiple times since its initial launch three weeks ago.

Sketchy ChatGPT App Soars Up App Store Charts, Charges $7.99 Weekly Subscription

A sketchy app claiming to be the bot ChatGPT has soared up App Store charts, charging users a $7.99 weekly subscription to use a service that is...

www.macrumors.com

 

[Stopspying]

Attackers Are Already Exploiting ChatGPT to Write Malicious Code

The AI-based chatbot is allowing bad actors with absolutely no coding experience to develop malware.

www.darkreading.com

 

[CyberTech]

There have long been complaints from developers and App Store users about apps that offer limited functionality and charge high prices in an effort to scam people out of their money, and the latest trend is a glut of ChatGPT apps that have invaded the ‌App Store‌.

Privacy 1st researcher Alex Kleber over the weekend did a deep dive into the Mac App Store after noticing an alarming number of ChatGPT apps from the same handful of developers, and he shared his findings on Medium. As Kleber explains, dozens of copycat OpenAI/ChatGPT apps have popped up on the ‌Mac App Store‌, with "shady" developers "flooding" the ‌Mac App Store‌ with apps that are nearly identical to confuse consumers and shut out other developers.

Searching for OpenAI or ChatGPT on the ‌Mac App Store‌ brings up a long list of apps that are offer much of the same functionality, and as Kleber discovered, there are some developers who are gaming the ‌Mac App Store‌ with keywords, misleading marketing tactics, fake reviews, stolen OpenAI logos, and multiples of the same app.

PSA: Watch Out for Fake ChatGPT Apps and Other Scams in the Mac App Store

There have long been complaints from developers and App Store users about apps that offer limited functionality and charge high prices in an effort...

www.macrumors.com