False version of popular cryptocurrency app makes its way onto iOS

Fake cryptocurrency management app dominates App Store

A dodgy app posing as MyEtherWallet.com - a popular service that lets you store ETH and other cryptocurrency coins - topped the iOS App Store charts over the weekend.

According to a report by TechCrunch, the app made its through Apple's strict app selection policies and quickly entered the top three of the finance category in the App Store.

The app's sudden surge in popularity comes as digital currency Bitcoin continues to grow in value, with free Bitcoin exchange app Coinbase dominating the store's free downloads list.

Of course, this story wouldn't be as interesting if the app was what it purported to be. It's actually a fake version, and it's not understood how it actually good into the store.

The developer is listed as Nam Le, and has three other apps on the store. Bizarrely, the dedeveloper doesn't have any history in the cryptocurrency world, and two of its existing apps appear to be panda fighting games. So it clearly doesn't have much credibility in finance.

The actual creators of MyEtherWallet confirmed the news in a tweet. They've reached out to Apple to get the app removed and to find out how it got through strict security procedures.

"This is NOT US. We have file [sic] reports and emailed and reported. Would appreciate the communities [sic] assistance in getting these scamtards out of our lives," the firm said in a tweet.

As TechCrunch writes, the app has been being sold for $4.99 on App Store for about a week. It enables users to transfer wallets to the app where they can store currency without an exchange.

Crypto wallets have become hugely popular as Bitcoin has grown over the years, and they usually consist of a shareable public address and private key.

But the imposter version of MyEtherWallet is breaking the law in many ways. As pointed out on Twitter, the app is trying to make money off free, open source software.

There's currently no information on how many people have actually downloaded the app, but it recently posted an update and thanked its users for "early feedbacks".