Mobile app stores offer users a wide range of options, but malicious programs that closely resemble legitimate apps can be found within this vast selection. Some fake apps look exactly like the original, from the user interface to the product selection. Impersonators create and sell their own versions of popular apps at an alarming rate. App stores struggle to identify and remove fake apps, but you can also take steps to ensure you download the correct app.
Directly from the source
To ensure you’re downloading a genuine app, you can visit the developer’s official website to find the direct link in the app store. This also indicates which publisher on the platform is reliable for finding similar apps from the same company.
Be careful when downloading an app from a platform if you can’t find a direct link on the company’s official website. Some companies don’t have their own apps, meaning that any apps associated with them in the app store are imitations designed to steal your payment information, contacts, and other private data. Similarly, some companies don’t have official apps in certain regions, so scammers create imitations to deceive users in those countries. If you know a company has an app but can’t find a link, contact the company directly to ask for information on how to download it and where to get the app.
Word-of-mouth and recommendations
If an app you’re interested in doesn’t have an official website, as is often the case with apps developed by independent developers, read all the reviews for both positive and negative feedback. Negative reviews can reveal problems users have encountered. Look especially for comments about suspicious permission requests, unauthorized charges to mobile wallets, unauthorized changes to settings, or unusual app behavior. If a user mentions a lack of customer support from the developer, it’s a sign that the app might be fake.
Positive reviews can be just as revealing as negative ones. Fake apps can have a large number of positive reviews because they can be purchased on the Dark Web. It’s very rare for an app to receive a huge number of positive and enthusiastic reviews during its development. Check if the review history includes detailed customer experiences regarding later versions.
App stores often maintain a history of whether an app is recommended or if the developer is approved by their administrators. These indicators help to better identify legitimate apps.
Pay attention
You can spot fake apps simply by reading their description and looking at their images. Legitimate companies often have their descriptions reviewed and only publish clean, professional screenshots. This is rarely the case with fake apps.
Furthermore, recent apps should be downloaded with caution, while an older app, which has been frequently updated, is more likely to be genuine. Read the release notes in the description to see if updates have been made to address customer complaints, add features, or fix bugs, and look for information about upcoming updates.
Did I download the correct application?
In some cases, an app might seem strange when you first start using it. If the brand’s visual identity and your user experience feel off, do some research to see if the app is a copycat. For example, you might have noticed that the colors are different from the website or ads, the logo looks incorrect, or it’s missing features. Uninstall the app and contact the company directly to confirm you downloaded the legitimate one.
Fake apps sometimes hide malware, and a game could easily transfer your contacts and transmit your location in the background. Make sure the apps you install only have the permissions they absolutely need to function, and disable any permissions they shouldn’t have.
If identifying fake apps is too stressful, the best strategy is to avoid downloading unnecessary apps altogether. In many cases, such as shopping or checking movie times, the company’s app and website offer a similar experience. Accessing the website using an encrypted HTTPS connection is certainly safer than using an app.
You can help eliminate fake apps and make app stores safer for everyone. When you find an obvious imitation or accidentally download a fake app, report it to the company that’s the victim and to the app store. Fake apps are a recurring problem, but the efforts of app store users prevent their creators from indefinitely exploiting unsuspecting people.
