# How to Report a Scam App on the App Store Report a scam app from its App Store page or at reportaproblem.apple.com, even if you never downloaded it. What to include, what Apple does next, and how to get your money back. - Source: https://appshunter.io/blog/report-scam-app-app-store - Published: 2026-10-15 - Category: guides - Tags: scam-apps, report-scam-app, app-store, app-safety, trust-and-safety, how-to *Last updated: October 15, 2026.* To report a scam app on the App Store, open the app's product page on your iPhone, tap "Report a Problem," sign in, and choose "Report a scam or fraud." You can also go straight to [reportaproblem.apple.com](https://reportaproblem.apple.com/) from any browser. Reports go to Apple's App Review and fraud teams, who investigate and can remove the app and terminate the developer. ## When an app counts as a scam Report an app as a scam or fraud when it misleads you to take your money or data, not just when it's buggy. Common examples: - **Fake free trials** that charge immediately, or subscriptions far pricier than the listing suggests. - **Impersonator apps** that copy a well-known brand. In April 2026, a fake Ledger Live app on the Mac App Store drained about $9.5 million from more than 50 users by asking for their wallet recovery phrases, [as AppleInsider reported](https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/04/14/bogus-crypto-wallet-on-app-store-steals-95m). - **Bait-and-switch apps** that pass review as one thing and then change. Apple described the fake Ledger app's developer as using a bait-and-switch strategy, [according to Cointelegraph](https://cointelegraph.com/news/apple-removes-fake-ledger-app-stole-9-million-from-users). - **Apps built on fake ratings and misleading ads.** Freecash reached No. 2 on the U.S. App Store charts before Apple removed it in April 2026 for misleading marketing, [MacRumors reported](https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/14/apple-pulls-freecash-app/). An app that simply crashes or disappoints belongs under "Report a quality issue" instead. Offensive or illegal content has its own option too. ## How to report a scam app from the App Store on iPhone 1. **Open the App Store** and go to the app's product page. 2. **Tap "Report a Problem" near the bottom of the page.** Apple added this link to product pages in iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and macOS Monterey, [per its developer announcement](https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=j5uyprul). 3. **Sign in** with your Apple Account when the Report a Problem site opens. 4. **Tap "I'd like to," then choose "Report a scam or fraud."** 5. **Select the app, describe what happened, and submit.** Apple's announcement says the scam option works for free apps without in-app purchases too, not only paid ones. ## How to report a scam app from a computer 1. Go to [reportaproblem.apple.com](https://reportaproblem.apple.com/) and sign in. 2. Click "I'd like to" and choose "Report a scam or fraud." 3. Pick the app from your list, add details, and submit. On a Mac, the App Store's product pages also carry the Report a Problem link. ## If you never downloaded the app Report a Problem lists apps from your purchase history, so an app you only saw in an ad or a search result may not appear there, as readers on [TidBITS Talk found](https://talk.tidbits.com/t/how-to-report-a-scam-to-apple/28500). In that case, [contact Apple Support](https://getsupport.apple.com/) and give them the app's link. To copy an app's link on iPhone, open its App Store page, tap the Share button, then tap Copy Link. Apple's [support article](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212744) says reports about content need that URL. In the UK and EU, Apple also accepts links through its Illegal Content Reporting form, which its [UK support page](https://support.apple.com/en-gb/108109) mentions. ## What to include in your report A specific report is easier for Apple to act on. Include: - **The app's name, developer name and App Store link.** - **What the app promised and what actually happened**, in a sentence or two. - **Amounts and dates of any charges**, matched to your Apple receipts. - **Anything the app asked for**, such as card details, passwords or a crypto recovery phrase. ## What happens after you report Apple's App Review, Discovery Fraud and Live Moderation, and Financial Fraud teams investigate reports for fraud, manipulation and abuse, Apple says in its [developer announcement](https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=j5uyprul). Don't expect to hear back: Apple doesn't promise reporters an update on the outcome, as [iGeeksBlog's walkthrough](https://www.igeeksblog.com/how-to-report-scam-apps-in-app-store-on-iphone-ipad/) also notes. The scale is large. In 2025, Apple terminated 193,000 developer accounts over fraud concerns and rejected more than 138,000 developer enrollments, according to [its fraud prevention report](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/05/the-app-store-stopped-over-2-point-2-billion-usd-in-fraudulent-transactions-in-2025/). Outside pressure can decide how fast an app comes down: the fake Ledger app was pulled within days of victims and investigators raising the alarm publicly, and Freecash came down the day TechCrunch contacted Apple. ## Get your money back A scam report doesn't refund you automatically. On the same Report a Problem site, file a separate refund request for each charge, and cancel any subscription so it doesn't renew. Our guide to [getting a refund from the App Store](https://appshunter.io/blog/how-to-get-app-store-refund) walks through it. If the app charged you outside Apple's payment system, Apple can't refund that charge. Contact your bank or card issuer about it. ## Report the scam outside Apple too If you lost money, a report to your country's fraud authority creates a record that banks and investigators can use: - **United States:** the Federal Trade Commission at [ReportFraud.ftc.gov](https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/), and the FBI's [IC3](https://www.ic3.gov/) for crypto theft or larger losses. - **United Kingdom:** [Action Fraud](https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/). - **Elsewhere:** your national police or consumer protection agency. ## Secure your accounts after a scam app - **Delete the app**, then check Settings, your name, Subscriptions for anything it started. - **Change any password** you typed into the app, starting with your email and Apple Account. - **Call your bank** if you entered card details anywhere other than Apple's own payment sheet. - **Treat a crypto recovery phrase you typed into an app as compromised**, and move your funds to a new wallet with a new phrase. As Ledger's CTO put it after the fake app, if any app asks for your 24 words, assume something is wrong, [The Block reported](https://www.theblock.co/post/397388/fake-ledger-app-apple-app-store-crypto-theft-bitcoin-tron-solana-zachxbt). ## Report a scam app FAQ ### How do I report a scam app on the App Store? On the app's App Store page, tap "Report a Problem," sign in, choose "Report a scam or fraud," and submit. You can also use reportaproblem.apple.com from any browser. ### Can I report an app I didn't download? Report a Problem usually lists only apps in your purchase history. For an app you never downloaded, contact Apple Support and give them the app's link, copied from Share, then Copy Link on its App Store page. ### Will Apple tell me what happened to my report? Don't count on it. Apple investigates scam reports but doesn't promise an update on the outcome. Refund requests are different, and their status shows under Check Status of Claims. ### Does reporting a scam app get me a refund? No. A refund is a separate request on the same Report a Problem site. File both, and cancel any subscription the app started. ### What's the difference between "Report a scam or fraud" and "Report a quality issue"? Use "scam or fraud" when an app misled you to take money or data, such as a fake trial or an impersonator. Use "quality issue" for an app that's buggy or doesn't work as described. ### Can I report a free app as a scam? Yes. Apple extended the scam and fraud option to free apps, including ones with no in-app purchases. ## Check an app before you download it Most scam apps show warning signs on their own listing. Before you install something new, open it on [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) to see its in-app purchase prices, what reviewers complain about, and its "Is it safe?" and "Is it legit?" sections, or run through our [five-minute legitimacy check](https://appshunter.io/blog/is-that-app-legit).