Are Scammers Targeting Your Customers in the App Store? (Watch)

With more and more consumers going mobile, it makes sense that a lot of brands are creating their own mobile apps to reach out to those customers. Unfortunately, it also makes sense that more scammers are creating fake mobile apps to target those same mobile customers.

Apple recently removed hundreds of fake retail and product apps from its App Store after news outlets started asking about those counterfeit apps. Some of the apps even included recognizable names like Dollar Tree and Nordstrom. But instead of getting the official apps for those brands, customers would get apps with tons of pop-up ads or even ones that contained malware or asked for their personal information.

Clearly, actual brands Dollar Tree and Nordstrom didn’t have anything to do with those apps. But they can still impact consumer opinion if people are fooled. That’s why it’s so important for businesses to monitor what others put out there about them.

Monitor Fake Apps to Keep Your Reputation Clean

If people come across fake apps, websites or other information that isn’t accurate, it could spread misinformation and create a poor and undeserved impression with perspective customers. Unfortunately, you can’t always control what others post about your brand. But in the case of the App Store, you can report fake or suspicious apps to hopefully avoid similar issues in the future.

App Store Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "Are Scammers Targeting Your Customers in the App Store? (Watch)" was first published on Small Business Trends