If you see an ad promising Baldur’s Gate 3 for mobile, it’s a scam.
Per Videogamer, a scam app has appeared in Apple’s App Store that taps into the popularity of Larian Studios’ extremely popular Baldur’s Gate 3. While Larian Studios has commented that there are no plans to bring the game to mobile at all, the scam app, entitled “Baldur’s Gate 3 – Mobile Turuk,” and supposedly made by “Dmytro Turuk,” has surfaced in the App Store as a seemingly legitimate offering. It has a description saying players will be able to create characters or use a pre-made “Origin” character with “their own unique storyline and motivations.” To further sell the illusion it’s genuine, the fake app uses official screenshots from the proper game, but with a fake mobile control user interface placed on top.
The fake app can be downloaded for free, but users are presented with a page demanding a subscription, which is priced at $29.99 for 30 days and promises access to the full game, which it can’t provide. The app’s terms of service also state that it collects data about the user, including their IP address.
Similar tactics have also been tried, complete with a pseudo-Grand Theft Auto 6 app. A scam app entitled “GTA 6 Mobile/Car Games 2024” from “Zeynep Uslu” offers a similar package through glossy screenshots sourced from Grand Theft Auto V, complete with a mobile interface. Once again, the scam app is free to download but tricks players into high-fee subscriptions.
While Apple does have its App Store Review process to try and protect the App Store from such apps, scam apps sometimes slip through and become available to download. Barring an odd decision by the companies behind the two major franchises, it is almost certain that the apps break the rules in the App Store Review Guidelines.
Point 5.2.1 of the App Store guidelines states that developers cannot use third-party material such as trademarks, copyrighted works, or patented ideas without permission. They also can’t include “misleading, false, or copycat representations, names, or metadata” in the app bundle or developer name. The apps themselves typically aren’t posted for long once Apple has been made aware of the mistake, but they’re often available long enough for scam developers to pocket subscription fees and run.
Per AppleInsider:
“In some cases, Western iPhone users and App Store reviewers would see a lending app while users in Russia saw the bank’s app instead. Naturally, Apple has made changes to its App Store Review Guidelines over the years to make things more secure and to restrict what is available to users, but it’s a hard battle to win. With the sheer quantity of apps being reviewed by the company, it’s almost guaranteed that some bad actors will get through the net.”
As always, please be careful as to what apps you download and subscribe to, and if something looks suspicious, listen to your gut and avoid it. Apple has methods with which to request a refund in the case of a scam, but it never hurts to play it safe.
Via AppleInsider and Videogamer