Skip to main content

This ChatGPT scam duped thousands of people into downloading fake app

It appears that scammers have attempted to profit from the popularity of the ChatGPT AI text generator, which has been an online sensation for several weeks.

The completely free browser-based platform developed by OpenAI has been the talk of the internet space and works by giving you a detailed, human-like response to a simple command or query. It has even been considered a potential successor to the Google search engine.

ChatGPT and OpenAI logos.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

However, nefarious players have already taken to mobile app stores to try and market versions of the platform for smartphones, according to Gizmodo.

In particular, an app called “ChatGPT Chat GPT AI With GPT-3″ has surfaced on the Apple App store with an exorbitant price of $8 for a weekly subscription after a three-day trial. You also have the option to pay a $50 monthly subscription, which the publication notes is even more expensive than the weekly cost.

Despite its cost and the app not being affiliated with OpenAI, the copycat platform had proved popular. It ranks fifth in terms of downloads in the Apple App Store’s productivity category, ahead of Google Docs. The app was also has a 4.6 rating out of 5, with over 13,000 ratings, and uses the original ChatGPT logo to boost its credibility. TechCrunch also reported about a fake text generator that appeared on Google’s Play Store, but it was taken down before it could reach 100,000 downloads.

The ChatGPT copycat has since been removed from the Apple App Store since it gained media attention; however, many have been left wondering how it even passed the company’s app review process in the first place. According to MacRumors, the app was launched three weeks ago, and had plenty of time to garner this many ratings and comments on its quality.

Many users reported several of the same complaints that are seen about the actual browser version of ChatGPT, including that the chatbot fills in not-quite-correct information as an answer to a query. Additionally, users have challenged the price, the lack of a support team, and that ot sends out too many notifications.

Most importantly, though, the real version of ChatGPT available on the web is completely free to use, so there’s no reason whatsoever to pay for a separate subscription at the current moment.

There has been a lot of excitement surrounding ChatGPT, which has been occasionally “at capacity,” forcing people to wait to gain access. It could be that people have decided to pay for the app as a way of trying to cut the line.

While the saga of this particular ChatGPT mobile app might be over, there is word that there will be an official OpenAI iOS app sometime in the future. Venture capitalist and podcaster Jason Calacanis recently shared on a LinkedIn post that he has gotten access to a beta version of the app, but did not share further details.

For now, the easiest way to access ChatGPT on your smartphone is to load the AI text generator on your mobile browser.

Editors' Recommendations

Fionna Agomuoh
Fionna Agomuoh is a technology journalist with over a decade of experience writing about various consumer electronics topics…
OpenAI’s new tool can spot fake AI images, but there’s a catch
OpenAI Dall-E 3 alpha test version image.

Images generated by artificial intelligence (AI) have been causing plenty of consternation in recent months, with people understandably worried that they could be used to spread misinformation and deceive the public. Now, ChatGPT maker OpenAI is apparently working on a tool that can detect AI-generated images with 99% accuracy.

According to Bloomberg, OpenAI’s tool is designed to root out user-made pictures created by its own Dall-E 3 image generator. Speaking at the Wall Street Journal’s Tech Live event, Mira Murati, chief technology officer at OpenAI, claimed the tool is “99% reliable.” While the tech is being tested internally, there’s no release date yet.

Read more
Bing Chat just beat a security check to stop hackers and spammers
A depiction of a hacker breaking into a system via the use of code.

Bing Chat is no stranger to controversy -- in fact, sometimes it feels like there’s a never-ending stream of scandals surrounding it and tools like ChatGPT -- and now the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot has found itself in hot water over its ability to defeat a common cybersecurity measure.

According to Denis Shiryaev, the CEO of AI startup Neural.love, chatbots like Bing Chat and ChatGPT can potentially be used to bypass a CAPTCHA code if you just ask them the right set of questions. If this turns out to be a widespread issue, it could have worrying implications for everyone’s online security.

Read more
ChatGPT: the latest news, controversies, and tips you need to know
ChatGPT app running on an iPhone.

ChatGPT has continued to dazzle the internet with AI-generated content, morphing from a novel chatbot into a piece of technology that is driving the next era of innovation. No tech product in recent memory has sparked as much interest, controversy, fear, and excitement.

If you're just now catching on, it'd be fair to wonder what the fuss is all about. You can try it out for yourself for free (or use the official free iOS app), but here's the detailed guide you've been looking for -- whether you're worried about an AI apocalypse or are just looking for an intro guide to the app.

Read more