While the recent AI boom has brought many thoughtful apps and tools, it has also opened the door to misleading and scam apps that imitate major companies, such as OpenAI. Apple has been actively removing fake and potentially dangerous apps from its App Store.

Despite these efforts, some apps have managed to slip past Apple’s security measures. One prominent clone even reached the number one spot in the Business category before it was flagged and removed.

The Fake App Apple Took Down

Security researcher Alex Kleber recently spotted a misleading chatbot app called AI Chat Bot – Ask Anything on the Mac App Store. The app closely imitated ChatGPT and remained available for over a week before Apple confirmed its removal.

The app was flagged for copying key elements from OpenAI’s legitimate ChatGPT app and misleading users with its policies. It reportedly collected more sensitive information than disclosed, breached user privacy, and mishandled data in ways that could enable phishing and scam attacks. Additionally, conversation data may have been stored in unsecured databases and potentially sold to third parties.

ChatGPT fake app removed from Apple mac store
AI Chat Bot – Ask AI Anything has been flagged and removed from the Apple Mac App Store.

It’s also suspected that a developer known as Orbits Apps, based in Pakistan, may be behind the app. The company has previously released several misleading ChatGPT clones.

Delete the App If You Downloaded It

Although Apple has removed the app, it had already become the most popular app in the Business category before its takedown. Based on the number of ratings, many users likely downloaded and installed it.

If you installed the app, it’s strongly recommended that you delete or uninstall it from your Mac immediately. You should also change your passwords and consider switching to more secure login methods, such as passkeys, especially if you have shared sensitive information, like email addresses or contact details. Unfortunately, any chat data shared with the app is likely already stored and cannot be retrieved or deleted.

How do you stay safe online? Do you have tips or tools you rely on? We’d love to hear your thoughts.