You would not get a fake Microsoft-impersonating app on the Apple App Store, though, because of the very checks you're writing off as nothing but a money grab.

So I submit my scam app as "MichaelSoft". Given how many scams remain on every app store, it's clear these companies don't actually want to address these problems because it's not actually a problem for them, it's just a cost center. Apple can tout their "numbers" (https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2021/05/app-store-stopped-ove...) all they want, but there's no way to verify them. They can make up any of these numbers and nobody can say otherwise. It's all smoke and mirrors.

'Given how many scams remain on every app store etc...'

That's not what we're talking about.

You will not be able to get an app onto the App Store using microsofts brand image, logos, pretending to be microsoft to phish data from people.

It will not get through. You've obviously got a very strong informed opinion on the topic, but this is just fact.

So all of the downsides are worth it as long as major companies like Microsoft are protected? Is that your point?

No, I'm making the point that you can't get something on the App Store that is a scam version of basically any reasonably well known product or company that is going to just phish data.

It will not get through the checks you're suggesting are 'not really for security'.

I would pay you a $100 USD if you could consistently get a scam like this into the App Store. And by this I mean: - Low effort - Phishing for data - Pretending to be Microsoft.