Scam apps are nothing new, but Apple and Google have yet to develop a proper solution to prevent them from making it into their mobile app stores. The most recent estimate is that developers of fleeceware apps raked in $400 million from unsuspecting users in recent years.
Fleeceware apps do not fit the definition of malware as they don’t take control of your device or steal any of your data. However, this is exactly what allows them to slip through the cracks in the Play Store and App Store review processes. It also doesn’t help that some of these apps do include some useful functionality that helps them look legitimate.
