Apple has shared its fifth annual report on App Store fraud prevention, presenting detailed figures on its work to protect users and maintain the App Store as a “safe” and “trusted” place to download apps.
Over $2 Billion in Fraud Blocked in 2024
According to Apple, more than $9 billion in fraudulent transactions have been blocked over the past five years, with over $2 billion stopped in 2024 alone.
The App Store operates in 175 regions and sees more than 813 million visitors every week, making it, as Apple describes, a “trusted destination” for people looking for new apps.
Apple emphasized that keeping this environment secure takes “constant vigilance” since fraudsters continually change their methods — from apps designed to steal user data to fake payment schemes.
Developer and Customer Account Fraud
Apple’s antifraud systems are designed to quickly detect and remove harmful accounts. In 2024, the company:
- Shut down over 146,000 developer accounts due to fraud concerns
- Blocked 139,000 developer enrollments to prevent app submissions by bad actors
- Declined more than 711 million customer account sign-ups
- Deactivated nearly 129 million customer accounts involved in spam or attempts to manipulate reviews, rankings, or search results
Apple reports blocking over 10,000 unauthorized apps on pirate storefronts—including malware, gambling, adult content, and pirated apps—and stopped nearly 4.6 million attempts last month to install or launch apps from unapproved sources.
Reviewing Millions of App Submissions
Before apps appear on the App Store, Apple’s App Review team carefully evaluates them to ensure they meet strict safety and quality standards. In 2024, Apple reported the following App Store review results:
- Reviewed over 7.7 million app submissions
- Declined 1.9 million+ apps over security, reliability, privacy, or fraud concerns
- Removed 37,000+ apps linked to fraudulent activities
- Rejected 43,000+ submissions hiding or using undisclosed features
- Blocked 320,000+ apps copying others, spamming, or misleading users
- Took down 17,000+ apps using bait-and-switch tactics
- Denied 400,000 submissions for breaking privacy rules
Apple pointed out that some developers attempt to slip through by hiding risky features that only activate after passing the review process, but its monitoring systems work to catch and block these attempts.
Fighting Fake Reviews and Deceptive Tactics
In 2024, Apple handled over 1.2 billion ratings and reviews, removing more than 143 million that were identified as fake or fraudulent.
The company also removed over 7,400 apps from App Store charts and nearly 9,500 deceptive apps from search results, helping to ensure fair competition for legitimate developers.
Payment and Credit Card Fraud Protection
Apple blocked more than $2 billion in fraudulent transactions last year, identifying nearly 4.7 million stolen credit cards and banning over 1.6 million accounts from making further purchases. With Apple Pay, every transaction uses a device-specific number and unique code, ensuring card details are never stored on devices or Apple servers, and developers never receive card information, which helps reduce fraud risks.
Apple’s StoreKit and in-app purchase systems, used by over 420,000 apps, provide a secure way for users to manage subscriptions, view purchase history, request refunds, and complete purchases. These processes are protected by Apple ID authentication and end-to-end encryption to maintain privacy and security.
Global Efforts and Ongoing Commitment
Apple says its fraud prevention efforts span all 175 App Store regions and developer platforms, ensuring global user protection. The company is committed to keeping the App Store a safe and secure platform for downloading apps, while providing users with tools to report suspicious activity and seek help when needed.