Apple is facing a lawsuit in California over allegations that it allowed digital currency scam apps to be hosted on its App Store. The lawsuit, filed by Danyell Shin as a class action, claims that she was scammed out of $80,000 after downloading a fake digital asset exchange app called Swiftcrypt from the App Store.
The lawsuit specifically targets Apple for promoting the App Store as a safe and trusted platform while allegedly allowing malicious apps to deceive users. It points to Apple’s marketing and Steve Jobs’ past statements about the App Store’s security measures, arguing that users are misled into believing that the vetting process can protect them from fraudulent apps.
According to the lawsuit, Shin and other users of Swiftcrypt were never warned by Apple about the app’s fraudulent nature, leading to financial losses and a false sense of security. The lawsuit accuses Apple of violating competition law and California’s consumer protection laws.
The court will need to certify the class action before proceeding with the lawsuit, which could potentially impact other users who have fallen victim to similar scams on the App Store. Apple has not yet responded to the lawsuit, but its App Store exclusivity arrangements have been a subject of legal challenges in the past, such as the Epic Games v Apple case.
In a separate case in London, Apple is facing a £1.5 billion ($2 billion) anti-competition lawsuit over its App Store exclusivity, with claims that the company acts as a monopolist by restricting alternatives for consumers and developers. The lawsuit against Apple in California is titled Shin v Apple Inc. and has the case number 5:25-cv-05000.
As the legal battle unfolds, it raises questions about the responsibility of tech giants like Apple in protecting users from fraudulent apps on their platforms. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.
Tagged: App Store, Apple, Danyell Shin, Fraud, Scam, Steve Jobs, Swiftcrypt