Scammy VPN App Grossed $80,000 in Apple’s App Store

The ballad of a rip-off

Initially discovered by Johnny Lin, the aforementioned app quickly gained a nefarious reputation after the programmer shared his investigation in a lengthy Medium post. The app was called “Mobile protection :Clean & Security VPN” (misspelling is part of its charm) and ranked as the 10th highest grossing app in the App Store by earning roughly $80,000. How is that possible? Well, since it demanded a $99.99 per week subscription, one imprudent move and you lost $400 in the drainer for one month only. This way the shady creator behind the scam only needed to fool 200 people and he/she had cashed in an undeserved $80,000 paycheck. Classy. Interestingly, some people put part of the blame on Apple too, since the company let such an obvious rip-off hit the top of the chart and also appear in search ads. The poorly spelled app was eventually deleted but we fear that its success only encourages immoral individuals to attempt pulling off the same trick.

Avoiding scammers

Don’t wait for Apple or Google to do the job for you, since companies only react to a problem when it escalates to a higher level. Don’t become one of the infamous 200 victims who were fooled by a fake app. So the question is, how to tell apart scummy deals from the real ones? First and foremost, be well-read, and we don’t mean Jane Austen. Privacy-conscious websites – including us – urge people to opt for some sort of security app. However, you should also do your research and check on reviews to recognize a legit VPN. This knowledge helps spotting questionable information in the description too. Also, poor English and spelling mistakes are another sign of a rip-off. Last but not least, check the online presence of the product before buying it. Even an app should have a decent website that clearly displays the subscription prices and a clear privacy policy and terms and conditions that include the details of the company behind the app.

Make the most out of the free trial but before committing yourself, see whether there are reviews written by experts or forum discussions about it. All self-respecting VPN apps have a considerable online buzz, so beware of nameless software!