A knowledge harvesting app referred to as Freecash seems to have tricked customers because it temporarily rose to the highest charts at the App Retailer and Google Play, the place it has sat for months till a contemporary ban.
When you’ve been on TikTok this 12 months, you’ve most probably encountered advertisements for Freecash. The app has been advertised so that you can earn a living simply by scrolling TikTok — and jumped to the highest of the app shops in fresh months, peaking on the No. 2 place within the U.S. App Retailer.
If truth be told, Freecash will pay customers to play cellular video games — the entire whilst gathering a heaping quantity of delicate knowledge, in line with cybersecurity corporate Malwarebytes.
A Malwarebytes file notes that the app might accumulate details about customers’ race, faith, intercourse lifestyles, sexual orientation, well being, and different biometrics, including that the app is largely a knowledge dealer taking a look to check sport builders with customers who’re prepared to put in and invest in cellular video games. Video games promoted on Freecash come with Monopoly Cross and Disney Solitaire, amongst others.
Based on a January file from Stressed that discovered Freecash used misleading advertising and marketing ways and nudged customers to spend cash in video games, TikTok pulled a few of Freecash’s advertisements, announcing the corporate broke its regulations round monetary misrepresentation. On the time, Freecash denied involvement, announcing the advertisements had been generated by means of third-party associates, no longer itself.
On Monday, after being contacted by means of TechCrunch for remark, Apple pulled Freecash from its App Retailer. As of Monday afternoon, the app was once nonetheless indexed within the Google Play retailer.
When reached for remark, Almedia, the Germany-based corporate that owns Freecash, denied allegations of using synthetic site visitors to its platform or the usage of misleading advertising and marketing ways.
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“Our apps are absolutely compliant with the Apple App Retailer and Google Play Retailer insurance policies, as demonstrated by means of the truth that they’re are living and steadily move platform opinions,” an electronic mail from Almedia PR supervisor James Legislation, signed “Almedia Press Administrative center,” famous. “We don’t touch upon interior product technique relating to particular app listings.”
The query stays how an app like Freecash was once in a position to sport social media advertisements and different partnerships to upward thrust to the highest of the app retailer. The app’s downloads shot up in January 2026 to achieve 5.5 million throughout world app shops, up from 876,000 in October 2025, in line with knowledge from marketplace intelligence company Appfigures.
The expansion despatched the app into the No. 2 place at the U.S. App Retailer. Due to natural discovery and different advertising and marketing efforts, it endured to carry a most sensible 5 spot just about on a daily basis since January eighth. On Google Play, it reached No. 7 total, Appfigures stated.
Appfigures instructed TechCrunch that Freecash’s downloads peaked in February, attaining just about 6 million, however have since been declining. Present estimates had put the app on target for round 3 million installs in April.
Then again, Freecash’s sport extends past deceptive TikToks, imaginable pretend scores, suspiciously favorable Google oneway links, and the plain use of bots to pressure site visitors to the app.
A imaginable bait-and-switch
Prior to Freecash rocketed to the highest of the Apple and Google app shops, it was once created underneath two other developer accounts.
3rd-party knowledge from marketplace intelligence supplier Appfigures presentations that Almedia GmbH, the German corporate in the back of the Freecash app, first submitted Freecash to the Apple App Retailer on March 24, 2024, but it surely was once got rid of after round two months on June 13, 2024. (Appmagic sees its removing on June 12 – see beneath.)
This model of the app was once downloaded an estimated 69.5K occasions earlier than removing, Appfigures stated.
Months later, a 2d app that already existed at the retailer, evolved by means of the Cyprus-based corporate 256 Rewards Ltd, was once rebranded as “Freecash,” and an replace was once submitted underneath that app’s ID, in line with the third-party knowledge.
It’s unclear if Almedia received the Cyprus-based developer, which was once initially referred to as Rewards, or if it merely received the developer account. Rewards now not seems to have a functioning site or social media presence, and the staff in the back of the corporate has since moved directly to a brand new corporate, Driven. (Rewards’ co-founders didn’t reply to a request for remark about their prior corporate despatched by means of their new corporate’s electronic mail.)
Almedia’s re-entry into the App Retailer thru some other developer account could have been some way of circumventing a ban at the preliminary Freecash app. The usage of some other developer to re-enter the App Retailer after a ban is a not unusual, regardless that rule-breaking, tactic. (Almedia’s spokesperson declined to remark about its previous app takedown.)
A Washington Put up file concerning the rip-off app ecosystem famous this pattern, highlighting a number of fraudulent apps that may disappear from the App Retailer after which reappear underneath a special developer account. Different unbiased investigations have documented this tactic as smartly, and continuously, rip-off apps’ homeowners function a portfolio of accounts, it’s been reported.
It’s unclear if Almedia hired identical practices in approving its Freecash app, however what is obvious is that the Rewards app was once renamed to Freecash handiest 5 months in the past, earlier than temporarily rocketing to the highest of the Apple and Google shops. The corporate’s spokesperson didn’t say whether or not its authentic apps had been banned for coverage violations.
Apple’s App Retailer pointers restrict apps that attempt to trick its App Evaluation device by means of doing such things as circumventing bans.
After TechCrunch reached out to Apple for remark, the corporate got rid of Freecash from the App Retailer for violations of its regulations on Monday, mentioning the deceptive advertising and marketing. Apple pointed TechCrunch to 2 App Retailer Evaluation Tips, 3.1.2(a) and a couple of.3.1, which forbid scamming customers, attractive in bait-and-switch techniques, and advertising and marketing apps in a deceptive manner.
As well as, Apple’s Developer Program License Settlement additionally says builders can’t interact in illegal, unfair, deceptive, fraudulent, mistaken, or cheating acts or industry practices with regards to their app. This comprises attractive in bait-and-switch pricing, shopper misrepresentation, misleading industry practices, or unfair festival in opposition to different builders, Apple famous.
Almedia could have finished one thing identical at the Google Play Retailer. The corporate’s authentic app (developer ID com.freecash.twa — see above) was once got rid of in January 2024, in step with Appfigures. The present Freecash app is indexed underneath a special developer ID (com.freecash.app2). Google tells us it’s taking a look into the subject.
As of Friday, April 10, Freecash was once No. 7 at the U.S. App Retailer and No. 13 on Google Play.
Regardless of the reviews of its misleading advertising and marketing techniques, Freecash had an overly prime overview ranking of four.7 stars. It’s no longer unusual or in particular tricky for manufacturers to falsify opinions on-line, but it surely’s imaginable the prime ranking supposed it wasn’t flagged by means of Apple for removing.
In its remark, Apple instructed TechCrunch that customers will have to file apps they imagine are attractive in scams or fraud by means of the reportaproblem.apple.com site.
