Zee reports, “Despite a claim that we’re exaggerating the gravity of the entire situation, let’s show you a few examples of these app farms and you can judge for yourself.”
1. The Company/Thuat Nguyen begun our investigation. It’s responsible for 42 apps, 41 of which are book apps, all in the top 50 best selling apps in the books category. This app developer hacked iTunes user accounts and purchased their own apps using those accounts. (Update: This app developer has now had all his apps removed)
Read more in the full article here.
In related news, I wonder why there’s 20 times more vietnamese and chinese language books than english or french language books on the Canada iTunes Store.
@ Giles
Maybe Canada has their own immigration problem?
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Before anyone panics, read all the comments on the linked article, including those by several reasonable individuals who point out that iTunes accounts get “hacked” all the time, usually because people choose bad passwords.
Also, MacRumors has covered the same thing and come to the conclusion that it’s much ado about nothing:
http://www.macrumors.com/2010/07/04/reports-of-app-store-hacked-greatly-exaggerated/
——RM
Apple has to get better at weeding out worthless programs, and don’t listen to so online blogs or so called experts when they drop or refuse a program, Apple had it right the first time take as long as you need to weed out crap in the review process.
the use of only three rows of characters on the iphone and ipad is contributing to the tendency to have “easy” passwords. it is a pain in the neck using passwords with numbers and esp. special characters in them.
Just goes to show – you can’t program against STUID – when will people learn to be careful about what they download.
Congrats. You iSheep have a front row seat to witness the fall of Apple. AAPL stock continues to fall while Droids are selling like hotcakes. Admit you joined the wrong team and admit they’re wrong. Get over it. Stop crying!
Take it ez. I think Apple’s gonna be okay.
@ez
Google’s marketing dept is getting more and more desperate. Sounds like fear to me . . .
Ez must be a ZuneTang clone!
The iPhone and iOS will continue their unstoppable surge. Android and it’s brainwashed geeks will continue to play catchup and produce second rate crap. So go worry about that crappy EVO and it’s reception problems, lousy WiFi, screen coming loose and the phone getting bricked with OS update. Not to mention all the fragmentation. Google will be its own undoing. You’ve got your own issues to sort out over there at FanDroidville. So run along.
“Ez must be a ZuneTang clone!”
No, just another poorly-executed “me too” copy. Kinda like Microsoft
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Apple do need to resolve this issue. At the very least it will damaged their reputation as a safe online venture. The app store is a way for people to make big money by legally and illegally.
1. Some of this stuff is true fraud and I would be surprised if Apple could not prosecute some developers who are clearly involved in this.
2. Apple may have to redress its review criteria especially to identify fake apps. Like with all scams, these have a signature and Apple can start weeding out suspect apps especially if they start selling well.
3. Develop more stringent account security. Offer customers additional security options. Like secondary keywords for account changes, email confirmation for changes, requiring alpha and numerical passwords.
This type of fraud should not be surprising. Every new event / development results in a bunch of crooks trying to make money out of it. Apple will need to stay ahead of the curve to make sure this doesn’t blow up in their face.
…iTunes accounts get “hacked” all the time, usually because people choose bad passwords. —LordRobin
Maybe so, but all purchases from the iTunes Store should result in a receipt being emailed to the account holder. If users are being scammed without their knowledge, then presumably they are not receiving email receipts for these unauthorized purchases. This requires more than simply guessing a user’s password.
Apple needs to do a better job of protecting their millions of account holders from this kind of nonsense. If iTunes Store accounts are a popular target for thieves, maybe Apple needs to beef up their login verification process. Some banks email users who try to log in to their accounts from a different IP address than they normally use. The user must reply to the email before login is allowed. This may be a bit of a pain for the user, but not as big a pain as having to refute unauthorized purchases.
@ez: STFU.
Thuat?
That’s pronounced like TWAT, right?
There have been several carpet-appers that Apple has banned from the App Store. This is just another to add to the list.
I’m sure the ‘droids will find a place in their hearts for one more Twat.
They need all the apps they can get.
Yea accounts gets hacked all the time on all services but if the developer did this criminal charges must be brought.
A developer with 5000 useless apps should really be kicked out of the app store. Even someone with mYbe 100 useless apps should be kicked out.
Funny, that Walled Garden looks good now, doesn’t it?
Apple should strengthen the Wall and ignore the ‘let’s have everything unregulated’ crowd of Class A Morons.
Throw out the junk, throw out the repeats. Do we really need 150 mediocre calculator apps?
Get tough Steve, before we are overrun by barbarians wielding their crappy droid things.
@ez
I give google and it’s ‘roid phones till the end of the year before implosion. And that is being generous.
@ Giles
Because Canadians already know those languages.
I had one of the Storm8 titles. Not got around to playing it yet, probably won’t now. Paying for points is a scam!
Quality issues aside, Apple really needs to provide some more in depth ways to filter apps when searching in the store. The pure volume of apps (even just genuine one) makes it hard to find stuff beyond the stuff in the charts or first few pages.