Apple Confirms iTunes Fraud - 400 Accounts Hit

A story about iTunes customers’ accounts being hacked has been confirmed by Apple in a statement provided to tech-site Gizmodo. The Mac maker said that Thuat Nguyen’s fraudulent apps have all been removed, and offered advice on how customers can protect their information.

According to the Gizmodo report, developer Thuat Nguyen has been banned from the App Store for violating the developer Program License Agreement, including fraudulent purchase patterns. Asked to comment on the matter, Apple provided the following statement:

The developer Thuat Nguyen and his apps were removed from the App Store for violating the developer Program License Agreement, including fraudulent purchase patterns.

Developers do not receive any iTunes confidential customer data when an app is downloaded.

If your credit card or iTunes password is stolen and used on iTunes we recommend that you contact your financial institution and inquire about canceling the card and issuing a chargeback for any unauthorized transactions. We also recommend that you change your iTunes account password immediately. For more information on best practices for password security visit http://www.apple.com/support/itunes.

An update to the story in question brings a damage report according to which roughly 400 iTunes users were hit. Apple reportedly said that new security measures are in place. For example, iTunes will now ask for the (credit card) verification code "a little more often.”

As mentioned in our previous report, iTunes Store users worldwide are advised to check their previous purchases for signs of any transactions they may not have made, especially keeping an eye out for expensive apps. Those who think they may be a victim in this scenario can contact Apple here. Those affected are advised to change their iTunes Store account password, and remove credit card details.

However, the original story regarding the so-called “App Farms” indicated that multiple developers had been identified as similarly bad intended, using “innovative” approaches to stealing users’ money. Therefore, one question remains unanswered: how many such rogue developers are living in the iTunes App Store, taking advantage of unwary customers?