Security News > 2020 > April > Apple App Store Riddled With Money-Sucking Fleeceware Apps

Researchers are warning iPhone users of fleeceware apps after finding more than 30 examples of them on Apple's App Store.

Many of these fleeceware apps come in the form of image editors, horoscope apps, QR code or barcode scanners, and face filter apps targeted at younger generations.

The fleeceware apps discovered on Apple's App Store are also extremely popular, with some racking up between 500,000 downloads to 1 million downloads, according to Sensor Tower data.

Once the "Free trial" expires, if the user who downloaded the app hasn't both uninstalled the application and informed the app developer that they're done using the app, the app developer charges the user.

"App publishers also have the ability to introduce new fleeceware apps by releasing new apps with the same subscription policies, or by converting a previously free app into fleeceware by changing the app's profile in the App Store, though Apple developer policies prohibit this behavior."

News URL

https://threatpost.com/apple-app-store-riddled-with-money-sucking-fleeceware-apps/154671/