Fake Setup App For Alexa Assistant Tricks Users And Apple

It looks like a new fake app – “Setup for Amazon Alexa” has tricked not only users but also Apple Inc.

Setup for Amazon Alexa supposedly guides users to set up Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa on their smart speakers. According to 9to5 Mac, when users launch the app, it will require users to provide their IP address, their smart speakers’ serial numbers, and to name their devices. Typically, this app guides users through steps to properly set up Alexa assistant on their smart speakers as well as how to give essential commands to their devices, as described on the App Store.

Thanks to the striking high sales of smart speakers during the holiday season, the corresponding app also got downloaded more, bringing it to the sixth position in the Utilities category. Setup for Amazon Alexa was the 60th most installed among other apps across the App Store.

The app was intentionally named this way since people who first get an Echo are likely to search for these keywords on the App Store, which will help it approach more users. Apparently, the app tries to stick around users long enough for it to start displaying advertisements, hence ring the cash register.

Behind this fake app is the company One World Software that has uploaded two other applications on the App Store, aiming at iOS users. One of them is “Marketplace – Buy/Sell,” and the other one is “Any Font for Instagram” which costs 99 cents. All three of them, however, seem to have been removed by Apple.

In case you have already installed any of them on your phone, you may want to delete them from your phone right away.

It’s also worth noting that when you buy a new smart speaker that support Alexa or any smart devices with a virtual assistant, remember to download the official legit app.