Apple's App Store isn't always as reliable as the company claims. The latest example comes from RockAuto, an auto parts retailer popular with home mechanics and DIY enthusiasts. The company is angry that a fake app masquerading as an official app has not been removed from the App Store, despite multiple complaints to Apple.
Jim Taylor, RockAuto's co-founder and president, first noticed the situation when customers started complaining about “annoying ads” in the company's app. “I was surprised because he doesn't have the app,” he said.
Fake RockAuto app on the App Store. Image credit: Apple (screen capture by TechCrunch)
“We discovered that someone had placed an app in the Apple App Store using our logo and company information, but with misspellings and clunky graphics common in phishing scams,” he told TechCrunch. told.
If you look closely, this fake app is not very legitimate, but it's easy to see how someone could be fooled. That App Store image shows a photo of a truck with the word “Heading” across the image, as if a template was used in a hurry and the work was unfinished. Additionally, the app refers to itself as “RackAuto” throughout his App Store description, despite being titled “RockAuto” in the App Store.
It also promises customers that “your privacy is our top priority” and that “all your data is securely stored and encrypted, giving you peace of mind.” Given the nature of this app, that's unlikely.
This issue arises not only because of the app's ability to deceive at least some of RockAuto's customers, but also because it undermines Apple's message about how the App Store is a trusted and secure marketplace. This is a cause for concern. That's why we're asking for developer quotas. – App purchase transactions. Big tech companies have fought back against regulations such as the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), arguing that these laws infringe on the safety and privacy of their customers. Apple believes that customers are at risk when they conduct transactions with unknown parties outside of the App Store. But as these cases show, malicious actors can easily infiltrate their own app marketplaces as well.
Image credit: Fake RockAuto app from App Store. Image credit: Apple (screen capture by TechCrunch)
Apple has so far ignored RockAuto's requests to remove the fake apps, and all of those requests were sent through the proper channels, according to a document the company shared with TechCrunch.
While looking for a solution to this issue, RockAuto came across reports of a similar situation with LastPass. Password managers were victims of a similar scheme when a fake app masquerading as LastPass was live on the App Store for several weeks. LastPass ultimately had to publicly warn customers in a blog post because Apple didn't remove the fake app until the report and LastPass' own post went public.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment at the time. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding RockAuto's allegations.
Taylor said RockAuto's customer service manager initially contacted Apple to resolve the situation. When there was no response, Taylor got involved.
“The only response from Apple is, “You shouldn't send the email. Please use the online form,'' and “Please upload a screen print of your app store listing and trademark registration.'' It’s one-sided,” Taylor explains. , both of which are shown in its documentation that RockAuto was already running.
“There was no response to any uploaded documents or online form submissions,” Taylor said, adding, “Despite multiple submissions, I never even received the promised case number within 24 hours.” I couldn't do it,” he said.
Since filing the complaint on April 18, 2024, RockAuto has shared its trademark registration with Apple, sent emails to the company, and called the number listed on Apple's copyright infringement page. , submitted a DMCA takedown request and completed Apple's required forms.
Nothing was received other than automatic responses, and the fake app is still alive at the time of publication.