App Store Scam of the Week: ‘TabControl Extension’ for Safari
The author, Jeff Johnson, presents several pieces of evidence suggesting that the reviews for the TabControl Extension are fake. He notes that all but one review is five stars and that they are all in English. However, he could not find these reviews in the US, Australian, or Canadian App Stores. The format of the reviewer names, a first name followed by a last initial, is considered unusual for App Store reviews. Typically, users employ unique usernames without spaces, often with added numbers. The most compelling evidence of fabrication is that the review dates, such as "Mar 12," precede the actual release date of the TabControl Extension in the App Store. Johnson suspects the reviews were generated by an AI. He expresses concern about what the extension is doing with user data from Safari tabs. Despite these concerns, the TabControl Extension is currently ranked as one of the most popular Safari extensions.