How to Report a Scam App on the Apple App Store

Apple has finally added an option to report scams, with the increasing number of scams and fraud on the Apple App Store. It is finally making it easier to report scams, thanks to a new version of its Report a Problem feature. This new feature is now available on the IOS 15.

     Until the advent of the iOS 15, the report feature was anything but user-friendly. The only way you would be able to find this button was to scroll all the way down to the bottom of the Apps or Games tab in the App Store, get kicked out to a website where you would need to re-sign in. Then you could pick from “Report suspicious activity,” “Report a quality issue”, “Request a refund” or “Find my content.”

None of these options even offered a clear and direct way to report a scam, and the “Report suspicious activity” would redirect you to Apple Support instead. To make matters worse and more frustrating, Apple would only let you report “a quality issue” if you had already paid money (and thus fallen for the scam).

How to report a scam on the Apple App store

     Apple has stated that this new feature is only available in only few regions (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA) for starters, but that it plans to expand over time. What people will probably now begin to wonder is whether Apple will actually be quick and prompt in taking action on the reports. One thing to note is that Apple has just 500 human app reviewers, extremely low compared to 15,000 content moderators at Facebook, 20,000 at Google, and 2,200 at Twitter.

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What is the “Report a problem” button

     The previous ‘Report a Problem’ button can be found in the Games/Apps tab in the Apple App Store. Once you tap the button, App Store will take you to a website where you will be given the chance to choose from a range of four options which are;

  •     Request a refund
  •     Report suspicious activity
  •     Find My Content
  •     Report a quality issue
What is the "Report a problem" button

     The problem with this was that these options were only there to pacify the users but they did not offer a clear, proper or convenient way to report a scam or bad app. Worse still, the ‘Report suspicious activity’ option would only redirect users to Apple Support, which was rather frustrating to users who were seeking genuine help.

Now, with the new improvement, the Apple App Store finally gives you the chance to directly report a problem with every and any free app that has in-app purchases. In addition, you also have separate options to report not only scams but also offensive, illegal, and abusive content.

How to report a scam on the Apple App store

Open the App Store and browse to a listing for an app installed in your iOS device

Open the App Store and browse to a listing for an app installed in your iOS device

     To get started, launch the App Store on your iOS 15 or iPadOS 15 device. Next, tap on your profile picture or initials in the upper right corner of your screen. This will take you to a list of apps installed on your device. Scroll down until you find the app you want to report and select it.

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Report a problem

     Now the app’s description page is open, and you can then scroll down the information section. At the bottom of the listing, you will see the ‘Report a Problem’ link beneath the ‘developer website’ and app ‘privacy policy’ options. Tap on the “Report a Problem” option.

Sign in

    Tapping on “Report a Problem” launches an external side in Safari. You will be redirected to Apple’s website (idmsa.apple.com), where you will need to sign in using your Apple ID and password to proceed.

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Drop-down menu

     Once you have signed in to your account, you will be taken to a page that asks, “What can we help you with?” Tap the drop-down menu under it in order to report the app from your iPhone. The drop-down menu will present to you a couple of options which are;

  •     Request a refund
  •     Report a quality issue
  •     Find my content
  •     Report a scam or fraud
  •     Report offensive, illegal, or abusive content

Report a Scam or Fraud

     Select ‘Report a Scam or Fraud’ if that is the option you wish to go for, or you can select whichever option is your preferred option. After you have made your selection, tap on ‘next’.

Describe the Issue

     On the following page, you will be asked to describe the problem in a text box labeled ‘Describe the issue.’ Once you are done describing the issue, you can then tap on ‘Submit the Report’ near the top of your screen. Through that, the scam has been reported. After the submission, Apple will confirm that it will review the app and use your feedback to improve the service.

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     Have in mind that this feature is only available in a few countries, as earlier stated, but if you want to have access to the feature and you do not stay in any of the countries, you can follow the old-age hack; either create a US Apple ID or change your App Store country/region to the US.

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