Apple says it blocked more than $2 billion in fraudulent transactions on its App Store in 2024, underscoring a five-year global anti-fraud initiative that has prevented over $9 billion in malicious activity.
The tech giant, in a release seen by Technology Times, highlights new figures showing a surge in action against fake apps, stolen credit cards, and deceptive developer accounts, as part of what it calls a “company-wide approach” to maintaining the App Store as a secure digital marketplace.
The move comes amid growing regulatory scrutiny over user safety, privacy, and competition across global app ecosystems—including markets like Nigeria, where mobile app usage and digital payments continue to grow rapidly.
Apple says it terminated more than 146,000 developer accounts in 2024 due to fraud, rejecting an additional 139,000 developer registration attempts. Over 711 million fraudulent customer account creations were blocked, while nearly 129 million accounts were deactivated for harmful activities such as spam, review manipulation, and search result abuse.
According to Apple, the App Store recorded over 813 million weekly visits in 2024. “Preserving the App Store’s safe and secure marketplace requires constant vigilance,” the tech company says.
Anti-fraud systems block harmful accounts and apps
Apple says it terminated more than 146,000 developer accounts in 2024 due to fraud, rejecting an additional 139,000 developer registration attempts. Over 711 million fraudulent customer account creations were blocked, while nearly 129 million accounts were deactivated for harmful activities such as spam, review manipulation, and search result abuse.
The company also says it blocked over 10,000 illegitimate apps distributed via pirate storefronts—often hosting malware, pornography, unauthorised gambling, or counterfeit versions of legitimate applications. More than 4.6 million installation or launch attempts of unauthorised apps outside the App Store or approved third-party marketplaces were stopped.
Over 400,000 app submissions were rejected for violating user privacy, while more than 43,000 were flagged for containing hidden or undocumented features. Another 320,000 apps were rejected for spam, copying other apps, or misleading users.
App review process flags millions of violations
Apple’s App Review team assessed more than 7.7 million app submissions in 2024, rejecting 1.9 million that failed to meet standards for privacy, security, reliability, or user experience.
Over 400,000 app submissions were rejected for violating user privacy, while more than 43,000 were flagged for containing hidden or undocumented features. Another 320,000 apps were rejected for spam, copying other apps, or misleading users.
App Review also led to the removal of over 37,000 fraudulent apps from the App Store, the company says.
Ratings, reviews and discovery abuse targeted
In a push to eliminate “discovery fraud,” Apple says it removed 143 million fraudulent reviews out of 1.2 billion ratings and reviews processed in 2024. More than 7,400 apps were delisted from App Store charts, while another 9,500 deceptive apps were excluded from search results.
The company says the measures aim to create a level playing field for legitimate developers.
Payment security and stolen card detection
Apple also reports that in 2024 it prevented over $2 billion in attempted fraudulent transactions via its payment systems. Apple Pay, which uses device-specific numbers and unique transaction codes, ensures that card numbers are neither stored on Apple servers nor shared with developers.
Nearly 4.7 million stolen credit cards were detected, and over 1.6 million accounts were banned from further transactions.
More than 420,000 apps now use StoreKit and Apple Pay to enable secure in-app purchases, Apple says. All transactions are encrypted and authenticated using Apple ID credentials.
Global App Store ecosystem
Since its launch in 2008, Apple’s App Store has grown into a global platform serving developers and users across 175 regions. Apple says its ongoing enhancements in fraud detection and user tools reflect its long-term commitment to digital trust.
The company says it will continue developing systems to combat fraud and encourages users to report suspicious activity on the App Store.
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