Apple’s Strategy Against App Store Fraud

Apple’s ongoing commitment to maintaining the security and integrity of its App Store remains as robust as ever. In 2024, the company reported successfully preventing over $2 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions, contributing to an astonishing total of $9 billion thwarted since 2019. This effort is crucial given the platform’s heavy traffic, attracting more than 813 million visitors each week across 175 regions.

A Multi-Layered Defense System

To combat the ever-evolving methods of fraudsters, Apple employs a comprehensive strategy that merges automated technology with human oversight. In 2024 alone, the company rejected over 1.9 million app submissions that failed to meet their strict guidelines, which focus on reliability, privacy protections, and fraudulent activity prevention. Notably, 400,000 of those applications were denied for privacy-related violations, while more than 320,000 submissions were flagged for spam, duplication, or misleading content.

Central to this protection is Apple’s App Review team, which evaluates an average of 150,000 app submissions every week. In total, over 7.7 million submissions underwent scrutiny in 2024, resulting in the removal of more than 37,000 apps linked to fraudulent activities. These removals are part of a broader effort to clamp down on developer networks that attempt to bypass standard review processes.

Fraudsters often disguise malicious functionalities within apps that become active only after initial approval. Apple, in response, rejected over 43,000 app submissions in 2024 due to hidden or undocumented features.

Addressing Account Abuse

Fraud within the App Store ecosystem extends beyond individual apps. Apple has also targeted the abuse of developer accounts, a frequent entry point for malicious activities. In the past year, the company terminated more than 146,000 developer accounts due to fraudulent activities, while an additional 139,000 enrollment attempts were outright rejected.

On the consumer side, Apple’s vigilance continued with the rejection of over 711 million customer account creation attempts. Nearly 129 million accounts were deactivated, many of which were suspected of attempting to manipulate the App Store’s ratings and reviews, jeopardizing the credibility of legitimate developers.

Apple’s protective measures even extend beyond its own platform. In 2024, the company identified and blocked over 10,000 unauthorized applications hosted on unapproved platforms, successfully preventing approximately 4.6 million attempts to install or launch these applications.

Combatting Discovery Fraud

A significant aspect of Apple’s fraud prevention strategy is tackling the manipulation of app rankings and visibility. In 2024, more than 1.2 billion user ratings and reviews were processed, leading to the removal of over 143 million fraudulent entries aimed at gaming the system. Furthermore, Apple took action against over 7,400 apps on App Store charts and nearly 9,500 deceptive apps in search results, thereby leveling the playing field for reputable developers.

The integrity of Apple’s payment system also received robust protection. Through technologies like Apple Pay and StoreKit, the company prevented over $2 billion in fraudulent transactions last year. Additionally, Apple detected and blocked the use of 4.7 million stolen credit cards, banning more than 1.6 million accounts from conducting further transactions.

Apple emphasizes the security advantages of using Apple Pay, which generates a unique device-specific number and transaction code for every purchase, ensuring that actual card numbers are neither stored on devices nor shared with developers.

As of now, more than 420,000 apps utilize StoreKit to manage in-app purchases. Apple claims that transactions processed through this system benefit from built-in fraud detection, end-to-end encryption, and user management tools, including purchase history, refund support, and subscription oversight.

Conclusion

Apple’s strategic approach to combating fraud within the App Store—from sophisticated automated systems to active human review—highlights its dedication to safeguarding users and maintaining the integrity of its platform. Through these efforts, Apple continues to foster an environment that supports legitimate developers while effectively countering illicit activities.