Jeff Johnson, developer of the Stop The Madness Safari extension, says “obvious” App Store ratings fraud is slipping past Apple despite the company’s claims of rigorous review. He notes that while he doesn’t actively hunt fraud, he encounters it frequently.

He points to Tab Control Extension as a recent example. The #12 top‑paid Safari extension in the US Mac App Store uses an AI‑generated screenshot and displays a “4.9 out of 5” star rating, both of which he says are clear signs of fraud. Johnson argues that Apple's review process should have flagged the fake screenshot and false rating before approval.

Apple reports it has prevented over $9 billion in fraudulent transactions since 2008, including $2 billion in 2024, and maintains the App Store is a safe marketplace. Critics, however, cite multi‑million‑dollar scams like a fake wallet app that drained Bitcoin, highlighting gaps in detection. Johnson stresses that if a developer scams users to sell an app, they cannot be trusted with browsing data.

9to5Mac notes that while catching every fraud case is impossible, obvious fake reviews should be easily identified. The outlet suggests Apple implement an automated review trigger for apps hitting top rankings, ensuring closer scrutiny of their claims.