Fleeceware is the name for APPS that deliver some benefit but charge far too much compared to similar APPS. E.g. a basic flashlight APP for $10 when usually these are free or come pre-installed on your phone.

The problem is not that there is something malicious in these APPS – just that they are ripping people off.

Google and APPLE check all APPS for malware but don’t have such clear rules on value for money as that is a more personal choice. However, APPS that obviously rip people off do get banned by both Google and APPLE.

Usually these Fleeceware APPS have subscription charges or hidden charges or both and people sign up without realising they can get the same thing either free or at a much reduced price.

Sophos, an Internet security firm, found 25 such apps on Google Play that had a combined total of more than 600 million downloads. They also found 30 apps in the iOS App Store that can be considered Fleeceware APPS.

Scammers may choose any high selling APP where they can duplicate basic functionality easily and then con people into the high charges. To improve their ranking, they will also typically create zombie accounts and use those to post outstanding reviews of the APP.

Sometimes there is a free trial period listed on the adverts but the APP insists on payment on first use, or the adverts show a reasonable subscription charge annually but then the APP charges that same amount every month or has In APP charges that cannot be avoided etc.

Once installed, users may think that deleting the APP will stop the recurring charges, but this is often not the case and the charges continue.

Google has announced that it will tighten the rules on how introductory free subscriptions work and other ongoing costs and that cancellation must be simple and actioned by the APP supplier.

Apple’s guidelines for developers explicitly prohibit unreasonable pricing, bait-and-switch subscriptions, and scams. Apple also say that they will reject expensive apps that try to cheat users with irrationally high prices.

How to Avoid Fleeceware

First thing is to only download apps from the Android or APPLE shop and not from elsewhere unless it is guaranteed to be safe.

Before choosing any APP with costs, check around to see if it is the right price and whether there are better options available.

If you have any experiences with these scams do let me know, by email.