An app on the Apple Store is impersonating Curve to scam users for the third time.
A fake app impersonating Curve Finance has seemingly appeared on the Apple Store for a third time to steal funds from more victims. The bad actors behind it are persistent in their efforts to part unsuspecting crypto users from their funds, bringing the app back to the marketplace despite receiving warnings and removals prior. It has climbed the ranks of the finance charts on the Apple Store previously and continues to do so this time around, too.
Beyond copying Curve’s look and branding, the app advertises itself as a platform for token swaps, staking, and liquidity staking use cases. However, those interacting with it to harness those features have lost their funds. Numerous one-star reviews highlight how the fake app operates, with victims complaining of their funds vanishing, being unable to withdraw those funds, and a non-existent customer support channel.
Babu Lal, co-founder of Frautect, an Indian cybersecurity firm, took to X to reveal the fake app’s return. “Another fake app is impersonating @CurveFinance on the Apple App Store, just days after the previous one was removed.” He added, “Financial institutions and consumers continue to be prime targets. What measures are brands taking to safeguard against these threats?”
Source: Babu Lal on X
Lal further revealed how this operation could be working. He mentioned that the previous scam app was removed on October 28. Still, the cybercriminals managed to get this up in a few days’ interval. Lal believes they have multiple versions created and ready to list on the app store, so when one gets taken down, another goes up. The app that is currently live is listed as an “Invoice PDF Maker.”
It is listed as “Curve V2 Dex.” on the Apple Store, with the publisher section displaying YUGO PRIVATE LIMITED. However, the app description section describes it as a professional PDF maker for invoicing purposes. Nevertheless, the screenshots section for the app shows an interface that boasts features like swapping, staking, liquid staking, and more.
The Previous Fake Curve App Trended Across Geographies
The previous version, as reported by LiveBitcoinNews, went by Curve defi v3 and trended on the Apple Store in regions like Europe, Latin America, New Zealand, the USA, and Southeast Asia. The real Curve Finance took to X to let users know about the fake app then—and the warning applies now as well. “Beware of scams. There is no DeFi “Curve App” on @Apple App Store, but a fake with our logo was spotted! Stay safe,” the post read.
