So far, Sophos has identified five such apps on both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store and has reported them to the respective platform owners. Users who have already downloaded these apps are advised to follow the guidelines provided by their vendors on how to cancel subscriptions, as merely deleting the app will not suffice.
“Scammers have and always will use the latest trends or technology to line their pockets. ChatGPT is no exception,” warns Sean Gallagher, Principal Threat Researcher at Sophos. He emphasizes that these types of scam apps, dubbed ‘fleeceware’ by Sophos, employ aggressive advertising tactics until users succumb to subscription sign-ups. The scammers rely on users paying little attention to the cost or forgetting about the subscription altogether. Furthermore, these apps are designed to have limited functionality after the free trial period, causing users to delete the app without realizing they are still obligated to make monthly or weekly payments.
