Apple blocks $9 billion in fraud, details 2024 App Store security milestones

Apple has unveiled its annual App Store fraud analysis, revealing that the company prevented over $9 billion in fraudulent transactions over the past five years, including more than $2 billion in 2024 alone. The report details the extensive measures Apple takes to keep the App Store a secure platform for its global user base and developer community, underscoring the relentless efforts required to outpace evolving threats.

With more than 813 million weekly visitors, the App Store remains a trusted marketplace for app discovery and transactions across 175 regions. But maintaining its reputation means staying a step ahead of bad actors employing increasingly sophisticated tactics—from phishing apps and payment scams to fake reviews and account fraud.

Apple’s anti-fraud infrastructure is designed to rapidly detect and eliminate malicious activity. In 2024, the company terminated over 146,000 developer accounts for fraud and rejected an additional 139,000 suspicious developer applications. On the customer side, more than 711 million potentially fraudulent account creations were blocked, and nearly 129 million risky accounts were deactivated, helping to maintain the integrity of ratings, reviews, and app search results.

The tech giant’s vigilance also extends beyond its own marketplace. Last year, Apple detected and blocked over 10,000 illegitimate apps distributed via pirate storefronts, including malware, gambling, and pirated versions of legitimate titles. Additionally, 4.6 million attempts to install or launch unauthorised apps outside the App Store or approved third-party marketplaces were stopped.

Every app submitted to the App Store undergoes both automated and human review. In 2024 alone, Apple reviewed over 7.7 million app submissions, rejecting more than 1.9 million for failing to meet standards for security, reliability, and user experience. Among these, 400,000 were rejected for privacy violations, and more than 320,000 for being spam, copycat, or otherwise misleading.

To combat deceptive tactics like hidden features and bait-and-switch, Apple’s review team removed over 37,000 apps for fraudulent activity and rejected more than 43,000 submissions for containing undisclosed or hidden functionality. The company also remains vigilant against developers who attempt to manipulate app charts and search results.

Fraudulent ratings and reviews can skew app visibility and consumer trust. Apple processed 1.2 billion ratings and reviews last year, removing over 143 million that were found to be fraudulent. In 2024, the company removed more than 7,400 apps from App Store charts and nearly 9,500 deceptive apps from search results, levelling the playing field for legitimate developers.

Payment and credit card fraud remain critical concerns for Apple. In 2024, Apple prevented over $2 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions, identified 4.7 million stolen credit cards, and banned more than 1.6 million accounts from transacting again. Apple’s in-app purchase system, including Apple Pay and StoreKit, offers advanced security and privacy for over 420,000 apps, ensuring each transaction is authenticated, encrypted, and monitored for fraud.