Fake ChatGPT app flushes Mac App Store: Code 99% identical, 'face swap' to get money

Alex Kleber, a researcher at security agency Privacy 1st, posted a blog post over the weekend about dozens of fake OpenAI / ChatGPT apps popping up on the Mac App Store and making a lot of money from them.

Fake ChatGPT Apps Swamp Mac App Store: 99% Identical Code, "Face Swap" to Get Money

Users searching for the keywords OpenAI or ChatGPT on the Mac App Store can see a variety of fake apps. The blog post suggests that these developers are using keywords, misleading marketing tactics, false marketing and other tactics to mislead Mac users into clicking on and using these apps.

The blog post mentions Pixelsbay and ParallelWorld, both developed by Pakistani companies, which are 99 percent identical in code, just with a different name and icon.

All of these fake apps target a status quo that users don't know much about and charge relatively high prices, thus making a lot of money for the developers of the apps.

ChatGPT is free to use, and OpenAI offers a "Plus" plan with faster response times and priority access to new features for $20 per month (IT House note: currently about $138). Microsoft's OpenAI-based Bing chatbot is free to use, as is Google's version of the chatbot, Google Bard.