Online scammers are tricking users into signing up for free and extorting thousands of dollars from buyers with a fake trial application masquerading as a legitimate ChatGPT-based chatbot, according to a new Sophos report. … apparently …
Sold on Apple’s App Store and Google Play, the fake app has minimal features and floods users with ads. Sophos reports that these entice users to sign up for subscriptions that cost hundreds of dollars a year.
Sophos investigated 5 apps called ChatGPT’s “fleeceware”. These apps falsely claim to be based on the ChatGPT algorithm and charge subscription fees ranging from $10/month to over $70/year.
In one example, ChatGPT was changed to “Chat GBT” to improve the app’s standing in both the Apple App Store and Google Play. Called “Ask AI Assistant”, the iOS version of “Chat GBT” costs $6 per week (or $312 per year) after a 3-day free trial. The developer was paid $10,000 in March, Sophos said. Another fleeceware-like app called Genie brought in $1 million last month.
How to spot fraud
Things to note are:
- Fleeceware apps overcharge users for features that are already free elsewhere.
- Scammers use social engineering and coercive tactics to convince users to sign up for recurring subscription payments.
- Apps usually offer free trials, but they have too many ads and restrictions, making them almost unusable until you pay for a subscription.
- These apps are often poorly written and poorly implemented, and even after users switch to a paid version, the app’s functionality is often less than ideal.
- These apps inflate ratings on app stores by providing fake reviews and insisting that users rate the app before using it or before the free trial period ends.
How to avoid fleeceware apps
These apps are specifically made to pass our review without violating Apple and Google policies. CyberProtector said it has reported its findings regarding the fleeceware app to Apple and Google. Users who have already downloaded these apps should follow the guidelines on how to “unsubscribe” from the app or the Google Play Store. According to Sophos, simply removing the fleeceware app will not deactivate your subscription.
Sean Gallagher, Principal Threat Researcher at Sophos, explained that interest in AI and chatbots is particularly high, with users wanting modern apps similar to ChatGPT.
“[Scammers] They rely on the fact that users either don’t pay attention to the charges or simply forget they have this subscription. These are specifically designed to be used less often after the free trial period ends, so users delete the app without realizing that they still require monthly or weekly payments. ”
