Fake Photo App Sneaks Into iTunes App Store

Apple was forced to take decisive action to rid its official iTunes App Store of a rogue and potentially dangerous version of a hugely popular camera app.

The app, a clone of the Camera+ app, somehow snuck past Apple's security guards and was spotted in the App Store on Saturday (Jan. 21) by Glyn Evans of the iPhoneography  blog. Apple quickly removed the app, which had been registered by a developer called "Pursuit Special," but it is not known how long it was lurking before Evans detected it.

The real Camera+ app, developed by taptaptap, is in the top 10 best-selling apps in several countries' App Stores, meaning there could be scores of people who downloaded the bogus version, billed as "the most amazing Camera+ version yet," and had their iPhones or iPads compromised.

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Taptaptap thanked Evans for spotting the phony Camera+ app, and on its Twitter feed wrote, "Oh, Apple and your all too often disappointing approval process."

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This lapse on Apple's part should reinforce a few basic tips to remember when downloading apps on your smartphone, whichever model you may have.

Make sure you read an app's reviews before blindly installing it, and think twice about downloading an app that requests permission to access data you feel is invasive. For a list of popular, and safe, iPhone Apps, including detailed descriptions and reviews, click here.

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