In a remarkable display of its unwavering commitment to security and user protection, Apple has announced that it successfully prevented over $7 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions on the App Store between 2020 and 2023. This significant achievement is detailed in Apple’s fourth annual fraud prevention analysis, released recently.
Introduction
Since the launch of the App Store in 2008, Apple has consistently invested in developing industry-leading technologies designed to provide users with the safest and most secure experience for downloading apps. The App Store has set the standard for security, reliability, and user experience, cementing its position as a premier platform for app distribution.
Combating Evolving Threats
As digital threats have evolved in scope and complexity over the years, Apple has expanded its anti-fraud initiatives to address these challenges and protect its users effectively. Teams across Apple monitor and investigate fraudulent activity on the App Store daily, utilizing sophisticated tools and technologies to identify and weed out bad actors, ultimately strengthening the App Store ecosystem.
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Staggering Fraud Prevention Figures
The numbers speak volumes about Apple’s commitment to safeguarding its platform. From 2020 through 2023, the tech giant prevented a staggering combined total of over $7 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions, with more than $1.8 billion prevented in 2023 alone. Additionally, during this period, Apple blocked over 14 million stolen credit cards and more than 3.3 million accounts from transacting again.
Account Fraud Prevention
Apple has developed robust systems to quickly and effectively root out fraudulent customer and developer accounts, preventing bad actors from defrauding users. In 2023, Apple terminated nearly 118,000 developer accounts, a decrease from the previous year due to continued improvements to prevent the creation of potentially fraudulent accounts in the first place. Furthermore, Apple rejected over 91,000 developer enrollments due to fraud concerns, preventing the submission of problematic apps to the App Store.
Protecting Users and Developers
Harmful activity can occur at the customer account level, and Apple takes various measures to protect users and developers from ill-intended parties. These accounts are often bots created for spamming or manipulating ratings, reviews, charts, and search results, threatening the App Store’s integrity. In 2023, Apple blocked over 153 million fraudulent customer account creations and deactivated nearly 374 million accounts for fraud and abuse.
App Review Process
Apple’s App Review team, comprising over 500 experts, evaluates every single app submission from developers worldwide before it reaches users. In 2023, the team reviewed nearly 6.9 million app submissions while helping more than 192,000 developers publish their first app on the App Store.
The App Review process conducts numerous checks and leverages automated processes and human review to detect and take action on potentially harmful or deceptive apps. In 2023, more than 1.7 million app submissions were rejected for various reasons, including privacy violations and fraudulent activity.
Combating Deceptive Tactics
Bad actors employ deceptive tactics to harm users, such as disguising potentially risky apps as innocuous ones. App Review identified and removed apps initially misrepresented as harmless products but later transformed into pirate movie streaming platforms, illegal gambling apps, or fraudulent loan issuers.
In extreme cases, the team identified and removed financial service apps involved in complex and malicious social engineering efforts designed to defraud users, including apps impersonating known services to facilitate phishing campaigns and provide fraudulent financial and investment services.
Protecting User Privacy and Data
Malicious actors can also design apps to trick and scam users. In 2023, more than 248,000 app submissions were rejected for violating Apple’s policies against spam, copying other apps, or misleading users. Additionally, over 38,000 app submissions were rejected for containing hidden or undocumented features, and over 375,000 app submissions were rejected for privacy violations, as apps designed to access users’ private data without permission are prohibited on the App Store.
Ratings and Reviews Integrity
Ratings and reviews are essential resources for users and valuable feedback tools for developers. In 2023, with over 1.1 billion ratings and reviews processed, Apple removed nearly 152 million fraudulent ratings and reviews from the App Store to maintain the integrity of this system.
Payment and Credit Card Fraud Prevention
As apps have become a mainstream way for users to make purchases, Apple is diligent in protecting users’ financial information through secure payment technologies like Apple Pay and StoreKit. In 2023 alone, Apple helped prevent more than $1.8 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions on its platform.
Apple takes credit card fraud extremely seriously, and when consumers make a purchase with Apple Pay, a device-specific number and unique transaction code are used, ensuring card numbers are never stored on devices or Apple servers. Credit and debit card numbers are never shared with developers, eliminating another risk factor in the payment transaction process.
Conclusion
Apple has dedicated an advanced suite of tools and resources to ensure the App Store remains a safe and trusted place for users and developers. By thwarting the fraudulent efforts of bad actors, Apple ensures users can install software on their personal devices knowing there are numerous safeguards in place to protect them, and developers have a reliable store with a strong reputation to distribute their apps and games. Apple will continue to invest in its long-standing commitment to protecting the quality and security of the App Store in the best interests of all users and developers.
