Apple Removes Fake DeFiLlama App After Founder's Hacking Protest

The founder of DeFi analytics site DeFiLlama intentionally got hacked to force Apple to remove a fake app. The founder, 0xngmi, downloaded the fake app from the App Store and funded it with a small wallet. He then let the app steal the money as proof that it was a scam.

The app remained on the store for months despite DeFiLlama's efforts to flag it through Apple's abuse and trademark channels. The company cited impersonation and trademark violations, but no action was taken until 0xngmi reported the successful hack.

The fake app was a basic copy of DeFiLlama that asked users for their seed phrase, which grants full control of a crypto wallet. The scammers had also been spamming lookalike apps for other major crypto brands and passed Apple's identity checks by registering under dead companies.