Apple hasn’t implemented a Twitter-style verification system for legit apps, so spotting fakes can be like sifting through phony fashions and accessories — it requires a careful eye.
Here are a few ways to suss out the real apps from the fakes:
- Check the reviews before downloading it. Fake apps can quickly draw complaints.
- As a rule, apps that advertise discounts in their titles are a red flag.
- Watch out when an app’s title is lengthy and loaded with keywords to boost its search ranking, when it only has an abbreviation of a brand name (”LV” and not “Louis Vuitton”) or when it is misspelled, like Footlocker.
- Also, check whether a logo looks legit. A recent fake Canada Goose app had the name spelled out rather than the jacket maker’s signature military-style patch.
Some genuine apps are published by the brands themselves, but many legit apps also come from third-party makers like Branding Brand, which makes vetting tricky as these publishers aren’t well known to consumers.
Many scammers are using Chinese names — Fuzhou BeiLu is one of the most prolific of late.
Once downloaded, the apps often serve up annoying pop-up and banner ads. “It is absolutely impossible to shop because of the pop-up ads,” one user griped last week, giving the fake Dillard’s app a one-star review.
Indeed, the apps are making extra cash by pulling ads from big online exchanges like Google’s DoubleClick, says Mike Gamaroff at Sito Mobile, an ad-targeting firm.