Apple: App Store Blocked $2 Billion in Fraud Last Year

Apple says its App Store prevented more than $2 billion in fraudulent transactions last year.

This is part of a larger anti-fraud effort that has blocked more than $9 billion worth of such transactions in the past five years, the tech giant said Thursday (May 27).

“Preserving the App Store’s safe and secure marketplace requires constant vigilance, as bad actors continue to evolve their tactics in an attempt to defraud users,” Apple said in a news release.

“These threats range from deceptive apps designed to steal personal information to fraudulent payment schemes that attempt to exploit users” the company added. “Apple employs a comprehensive approach to combating fraud on the App Store, with teams across the company working to detect, investigate, and prevent malicious activity before it can reach users.”

According to the release, Apple terminated more than 146,000 developer accounts last year due to fraud concerns and rejected an additional 139,000 developer enrollments, keeping fraudsters from submitting their apps to the App Store.

In addition, the company’s App Review program removed more than 37,000 apps in 2024 for fraudulent activity. Apple also removed more than 143 million fraudulent ratings and reviews from the App Store last year, as well as more than 7,400 apps from App Store charts, while keeping nearly 9,500 deceptive apps from appearing in App Store search results.

“These actions in turn benefit developers who are in good standing, leveling the playing field and allowing them a fair chance to thrive on the App Store,” the company said.

In other fraud prevention news, PYMNTS wrote last week about the trend of consumers shunning plastic cards for their virtual counterparts in a bid to stay ahead of cybercriminals.

According to findings from the PYMNTS Intelligence/Elan report “Digital Payments Evolution: Virtual Cards Poised to Take Off,” 42% of U.S. consumers used a virtual card in the last six months, while a staggering 65% reported they are likely to use one within the next year.

“What’s driving the growth? It’s more than one in three consumers (36%) who have experienced fraud that are now more likely to use the payment method,” PYMNTS wrote. “The shift reflects a significant behavioral transformation: one catalyzed by consumers’ desire for security, flexibility and control in an era where fraud and data breaches are no longer hypotheticals but personal realities for millions.”