Some iPhone users who received a new Alexa device as gift on Christmas may have downloaded an app masquerading as the official setup companion for Amazon's Alexa.
Fake Alexa App Climbs App Store Charts
The fake Alexa setup app for iOS, which went live this week, has apparently fooled many users it managed to climb its way up to Apple's App Store charts.
Some Alexa device owners who thought the app called "Setup for Amazon Alexa" was legit even left reviews to express their frustration over the "instability" and "complicated setup" of the app.
The fake app has made its way to number 60 in the general "Top Free" apps section and number 6 in the Utilities sections of the App Store before it was taken down.
Fake App From Shady Company
The app is from the company called One World Software, which also has two other shady apps in the App Store.
The Setup for Amazon Alexa app asked users to provider their IP address, device serial number, and a "name" during the fake setup process. Scammers may use the IP address and serial number of devices connected to the web for malicious purposes.
One World Software's privacy policy also suggests it may collect and use the personal information of those who downloaded the app. The privacy policy likewise said the company might track users' locations and movements for marketing campaigns and to monitor the effectiveness of its services.
Impressive Sale Of Alexa-Enabled Devices
The rise of the fake Alexa setup app coincides with the impressive sale of Alexa-enabled devices, particularly Amazon's Echo Dot speaker, this holiday season.
Amazon revealed earlier this week that shipments of Echo Dot, Alexa Voice Remote, and Echo substantially increased from this fiscal quarter last year.
The surge of users plugging in their new smart devices even led to Alexa crashing on Christmas day albeit the incident was isolated to Europe.
