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Fake ChatGPT Apps may Fraud you out of Your Money

Sophos reveals bogus ChatGPT apps, that have been released on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.


The growing popularity of ChatGPT has given online scammers a good chance to take it as an opportunity to scam its users. Numerous bogus apps have now been released on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store as a result of the thrill surrounding this popular chatbot.

Cybersecurity firm Sophos has now made the users acknowledge the case of fake ChatGPT apps. It claims that downloading these apps can be risky, that they have almost no functionality, and that they are continually sending advertisements. According to the report, these apps lure unaware users into subscribing for a subscription that can costs hundreds of dollars annually.

How Does the Fake ChatGPT App Scam Work? 

Sophos refers these fake ChatGPT apps as fleeceware, describing them as ones that bombard users with adverts until they give in and purchase the subscription. These apps are purposefully made to only be used for a short period of time after the free trial period ends, causing users to remove them without realizing they are still obligated to make weekly or monthly membership payments.

According to the report, five investigated bogus ChatGPT apps with names like "Chat GBT" were available in order to deceive users and increase their exposure in the Google Play or App Store rankings. The research also claimed that whereas these fake apps charged users ranging from $10 per month to $70 per year, OpenAl's ChatGPT offers key functionality that could be used for free online. Another scam app named Genie lured users into subscribing for $7 weekly or $70 annually, generating $1 million in income over the previous month.

“Scammers have and always will use the latest trends or technology to line their pockets. ChatGPT is no exception," said Sean Gallagher, principal threat researcher, Sophos. "With interest in AI and chatbots arguably at an all-time high, users are turning to the Apple App and Google Play Stores to download anything that resembles ChatGPT. These types of scam apps—what Sophos has dubbed ‘fleeceware’—often bombard users with ads until they sign up for a subscription. They’re banking on the fact that users won’t pay attention to the cost or simply forget that they have this subscription. They’re specifically designed so that they may not get much use after the free trial ends, so users delete the app without realizing they’re still on the hook for a monthly or weekly payment."

While some of the bogus ChatGPT fleeceware have already been tracked and removed from the app stores, they are expected to resurface in the future. Hence, it is recommended for users to stay cautious of these fake apps, and make sure that the apps they are downloading are legitimate.

For users who have already download these apps are advised to follow protocols provided by the App Store or Google Play store on how to “unsubscribe,” since just deleting the bogus apps would not cancel one’s subscription.  

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