An information harvesting app known as Freecash seems to have tricked customers because it rapidly rose to the highest charts on the App Retailer and Google Play, the place it sat for months till a latest ban.
For those who’ve been on TikTok this yr, you’ve greater than possible encountered advertisements for Freecash. The app has been marketed as a approach to earn cash simply by scrolling TikTok — and jumped to the highest of the app shops in latest months, peaking on the No. 2 place within the U.S. App Retailer.
In reality, Freecash pays customers to play cellular video games — all of the whereas gathering a heaping quantity of delicate information, according to cybersecurity company Malwarebytes.
A Malwarebytes report notes that the app could acquire details about customers’ race, faith, intercourse life, sexual orientation, well being, and different biometrics, including that the app is basically a knowledge dealer seeking to match sport builders with customers who’re keen to put in and spend cash on cellular video games. Video games promoted on Freecash embody Monopoly Go and Disney Solitaire, amongst others.
In response to a January report from Wired that discovered Freecash used misleading advertising and marketing strategies and nudged customers to spend cash in video games, TikTok pulled a few of Freecash’s advertisements, saying the corporate broke its guidelines round monetary misrepresentation. On the time, Freecash denied involvement, saying the advertisements have been generated by third-party associates, not itself.
On Monday, after being contacted by TechCrunch for remark, Apple pulled Freecash from its App Retailer. As of Monday afternoon, the app was nonetheless listed within the Google Play retailer.
When reached for remark, Almedia, the Germany-based firm that owns Freecash, denied allegations of driving synthetic site visitors to its platform or utilizing misleading advertising and marketing strategies.
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“Our apps are absolutely compliant with the Apple App Retailer and Google Play Retailer insurance policies, as demonstrated by the truth that they’re reside and usually go platform evaluations,” an electronic mail from Almedia PR supervisor James Regulation, signed “Almedia Press Workplace,” famous. “We don’t touch upon inner product technique concerning particular app listings.”
The query stays how an app like Freecash was capable of sport social media advertisements and different partnerships to rise 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, according to data from market intelligence agency Appfigures.
The expansion despatched the app into the No. 2 place on the U.S. App Retailer. Because of natural discovery and different advertising and marketing efforts, it continued to carry a high 5 spot almost day-after-day since January 8. On Google Play, it reached No. 7 general, Appfigures mentioned.
Appfigures instructed TechCrunch that Freecash’s downloads peaked in February, reaching almost 6 million, however have since been declining. Present estimates had put the app on monitor for round 3 million installs in April.
Nonetheless, Freecash’s sport extends past deceptive TikToks, potential pretend scores, suspiciously favorable Google backlinks, and the apparent use of bots to drive site visitors to the app.
A potential bait-and-switch
Earlier than Freecash rocketed to the highest of the Apple and Google app shops, it was created below two totally different developer accounts.
Third-party information from market intelligence supplier Appfigures reveals that Almedia GmbH, the German firm behind the Freecash app, first submitted Freecash to the Apple App Retailer on March 24, 2024, but it surely was eliminated after round two months on June 13, 2024. (Appmagic sees its removing on June 12 — see under.)
This model of the app was downloaded an estimated 69.5K occasions earlier than removing, Appfigures mentioned.
Months later, a second app that already existed on the shop, developed by the Cyprus-based firm 256 Rewards Ltd, was rebranded as “Freecash,” and an replace was submitted below that app’s ID, in line with the third-party information.
It’s unclear if Almedia acquired the Cyprus-based developer, which was originally called Rewards, or if it merely acquired the developer account. Rewards now not seems to have a functioning website or social media presence, and the group behind the corporate has since moved on to a new company, Pushed. (Rewards’ co-founders didn’t reply to a request for remark about their prior firm despatched through their new firm’s electronic mail.)
Almedia’s re-entry into the App Retailer by means of one other developer account could have been a means of circumventing a ban on the preliminary Freecash app. Utilizing one other developer to re-enter the App Retailer after a ban is a standard, although rule-breaking, tactic. (Almedia’s spokesperson declined to remark about its earlier app takedown.)
A Washington Post report in regards to the rip-off app ecosystem famous this pattern, highlighting a number of fraudulent apps that might disappear from the App Retailer after which reappear below a distinct developer account. Different impartial investigations have documented this tactic as nicely, and infrequently, rip-off apps’ homeowners operate a portfolio of accounts, it’s been reported.
It’s unclear if Almedia employed comparable practices in approving its Freecash app, however what is obvious is that the Rewards app was renamed to Freecash solely 5 months in the past earlier than rapidly rocketing to the highest of the Apple and Google shops. The corporate’s spokesperson didn’t say whether or not its unique apps have been banned for coverage violations.
Apple’s App Retailer guidelines prohibit apps that attempt to trick its App Assessment system by doing issues like circumventing bans.
After TechCrunch reached out to Apple for remark, the corporate eliminated Freecash from the App Retailer for violations of its guidelines on Monday, citing the deceptive advertising and marketing. Apple pointed TechCrunch to 2 App Store Review Guidelines, 3.1.2(a) and a pair of.3.1, which forbid scamming customers, participating in bait-and-switch ways, and advertising and marketing apps in a deceptive means.
As well as, Apple’s Developer Program License Agreement additionally says builders can not have interaction in illegal, unfair, deceptive, fraudulent, improper, or dishonest acts or enterprise practices referring to their app. This consists of participating in bait-and-switch pricing, shopper misrepresentation, misleading enterprise practices, or unfair competitors in opposition to different builders, Apple famous.
Almedia could have completed one thing comparable on the Google Play Retailer. The corporate’s original app (developer ID com.freecash.twa — see above) was eliminated in January 2024, per Appfigures. The present Freecash app is listed below a distinct developer ID (com.freecash.app2). Google tells us it’s trying into the matter.
As of Friday, April 10, Freecash was No. 7 on the U.S. App Retailer and No. 13 on Google Play.
Regardless of the stories of its misleading advertising and marketing ways, Freecash had a really excessive evaluate rating of 4.7 stars. It’s not unusual or notably troublesome for manufacturers to falsify evaluations on-line, but it surely’s potential the excessive score meant it wasn’t flagged by Apple for removing.
In its assertion, Apple instructed TechCrunch that customers ought to report apps they imagine are participating in scams or fraud through the reportaproblem.apple.com web site.
