Apple hosted online casino app disguised as kids game app

Apple's App Store hosted a children's game app that was actually an online casino, developer Kosta Eleftheriou reported. In the description, "Jungle Runner 2k21" claimed to be a "fun running game" for ages 4+. Jungle Runner 2K21 might look like a children’s game, but it is actually an online casino.

However, for those opening it from an IP address in Turkey (or with a VPN), the app was an online casino with its own payment system. However, a cybersecurity researcher has uncovered a scam app that disguises itself as a kid's app, but in fact, turns into an online casino.

This was discovered by Kosta Eleftheriou, who shared his findings on Twitter. And since then, Jungle Runner 2K21 has been removed from the App Store. Eleftheriou, who has created the Apple Watch keyboard app FlickType, discovered an online casino app was moonlighting as a Jungle Runner 2K21 on the App Store - the icon and the description of Jungle Runner 2K21 falls in line with being a game for kids.

However, if you open the app with a VPN, Eleftheriou opened it with one connected to Turkey, this app opens as an online casino. The app works that way for only certain IP addresses, like Turkey. Further, the app has scammed several iOS users, and there is no way of knowing how much money it made for the threat actors.