For Apple, Pressure Builds Over App Store Fraud
Hundreds of online complaints say that Apple’s iTunes Store, and in particular its App Store, which the company portrays as the safest of shopping environments, is not so secure.
The complaints come from consumers who say that their accounts have been hijacked or that some apps are falsely advertised. And they come from creators of apps, who say they are having to deal with fraudulent purchases that drain their time and resources. Software makers also complain that competition in the App Store has become so brutal that many companies resort to artificially inflating their popularity rankings to grab attention. It’s a change for Apple, which was once criticized for its micromanaging of the App Store. Now the problem is not too much control, but too little. In the shadowy world of hacking, it’s often unclear how criminals get iTunes passwords or credit card information. But the App Store, and Apple’s broader iTunes Store, have become playgrounds for illicit transactions.
For Apple, Pressure Builds Over App Store Fraud