News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Scammed by the top result for 'Bitcoin wallet' in Apple A... by fingerlocks on Tuesday March 12, 2024 @06:26PM (#39685683)
No repro. Same search string gives me the Bitcoin.com and the Coinbase app at the top. Scrolled through several dozen wallet apps and the one in the Reddit link never surfaced.
Re:Scammed by the top result for 'Bitcoin wallet' in Apple A... by habeanf on Tuesday March 12, 2024 @06:47PM (#39685847)
Here is a screen recording including this hacker news post + your comment & and a switch to the app store with the search phrase. The first result is the scam app. I scrolled down so you can see where serious apps are in the list of results. https://streamable.com/q2mulu
Re:Scammed by the top result for 'Bitcoin wallet' in Apple A... by fingerlocks on Tuesday March 12, 2024 @07:09PM (#39686013)
You already tainted your results by downloading it once and having it stored in your cloud backup.

You still haven’t proven you didn’t seek this app out intentionally and made some attention seeking post to capitalize on the trend of Europeans crapping on Apple all over the front page.

There is no technical solution to prevent users from outright fraud. If you were truly scammed, then you effectively gave your money to a Nigerian Prince, and you’re now trying to rally a mob against Apple. If there’s a scammy app, report it and move on. Happens to every platform.

Re:Scammed by the top result for 'Bitcoin wallet' in Apple A... by habeanf on Tuesday March 12, 2024 @07:20PM (#39686099)
How am I supposed to prove I didn't seek the app out? What level of proof do you expect? Do you expect me to create a brand new apple account, replace the one in my phone (which might require wiping it?), and then search again, just to satisfy your default assumption that my claim is false?

When I first installed the app it was the first search result. I can't go back in time and prove it because I'm not paranoid and I don't screenshot the result of every search in every app store and search engine.

I reported it. I'm not trying to rally a mob against Apple. The bitcoin is gone.

I'm trying to prevent others from suffering the same fate as me. Based on what I'm reading in the comments here some other people in the world do trust apple app store search results, and I believe they've gained something from my post.

Re:Scammed by the top result for 'Bitcoin wallet' in Apple A... by hellotomyrars on Tuesday March 12, 2024 @07:49PM (#39686326)
I also can't replicate your results but GP is pretty aggressive in a way I don't feel is necessary. Sorry you got scammed out of your crypto, hope it wasn't too bad. I do agree with the sentiment that you should be incredibly vigilant and verify anything you're going to put your money inside of, Bitcoin or otherwise though. But people in positions and wallets that are far bigger than you (presumably) have done worse so don't feel too bad (Ripple CEO losing $112 million worth of XRP, for example).

Edit: Unless that app had a ton of reviews removed recently, I recommend in the future looking at that number. It is crazy that they've gamed it up to #97 in the finance charts according to the app store listing for sure, though the Play store is not immune to this manipulation.

Re:Scammed by the top result for 'Bitcoin wallet' in Apple A... by fingerlocks on Tuesday March 12, 2024 @07:28PM (#39686152)
You corroborate with others independently before posting.
Re:Scammed by the top result for 'Bitcoin wallet' in Apple A... by habeanf on Tuesday March 12, 2024 @07:40PM (#39686263)
If only there was a website I could use to contact other like minded people where they could vote on posts they like and discuss them in comment sections.

Oh, wait

Re:Scammed by the top result for 'Bitcoin wallet' in Apple A... by fingerlocks on Tuesday March 12, 2024 @07:53PM (#39686350)
The problem is that you’re framing this as some kind of technical issue that no one else has reproduced. Did you follow any kind of common sense due diligence? How is this any different from blaming Google/Gmail because you fell victim to a phishing/scam email?
Re:Scammed by the top result for 'Bitcoin wallet' in Apple A... by habeanf on Tuesday March 12, 2024 @08:12PM (#39686475)
Others have reproduced it, see others comments. Perhaps for them the ranking changed slightly but the fact is a scam app is ranked as high as serious companies.

Gmail / Google are open, the App Store is closed and supposedly vetted and guarded. Apple sells to its customers security, quality, and trust. It’s one of the reasons one pays 2x for an iPhone. All of these promises of a better ecosystem have been broken through this experience.

One of the supposed advantages of the closed App Store is to absolve (to some extent) the user of having to do said due diligence.

Also, it’s not like it’s impossible. Google are doing it well - show me a scam app that’s in the top 10 of the play store for bitcoin, banking, finance etc. Hardly any to be found.

Re:Scammed by the top result for 'Bitcoin wallet' in Apple A... by habeanf on Tuesday March 12, 2024 @06:36PM (#39685773)
I just took a screenshot of the app store about an hour ago: https://pasteboard.co/bZ7qQvAzYggy.png
Re:Scammed by the top result for 'Bitcoin wallet' in Apple A... by fingerlocks on Tuesday March 12, 2024 @06:37PM (#39685781)
Yeah, at the top because you already have it downloaded
Re:Scammed by the top result for 'Bitcoin wallet' in Apple A... by habeanf on Tuesday March 12, 2024 @06:51PM (#39685883)
Fair enough. I removed it and recorded the screen again: https://streamable.com/y5nhy7