Uniswap listed on Google Play Store? Fake news!

With the rise of DeFi this year, Bitcoin is once again approaching its historical high point in 2017. As a result, the number of investors looking to invest in cryptocurrencies is increasing, leading to a rise in related cryptocurrency scams. For example, a fake Uniswap application has appeared on Google Play, and it is currently known that users who have had their private keys stolen have lost over $20,000.

Uniswap Does Not Have an App

Alex Saunders, founder of the foreign media Nuggets News, pointed out today (11/20) on Twitter that a fake Uniswap App has appeared on the Google Play app store for Android, with over five thousand downloads.

However, on the Uniswap official website, there is no link to download an Android or iOS app. Alex Saunders stated:

One of our members lost $20,000 due to the fake Uniswap App. The app had over a hundred positive reviews on Google Play, so he confidently imported his private key into the wallet. Please report this app.

Just had a member of ours lose $20k to a fake @UniswapProtocol mobile App on @GooglePlay store as it has 100 fake positive reviews so he trusted to input private key backup phrase.

Please retweet this. Please report the App. 🚨💳⚠️https://t.co/uY3NQz3pFn pic.twitter.com/PXjmdsvPP3

— Alex Saunders 🇦🇺👨‍🔬 (@AlexSaundersAU) November 19, 2020

Technology Giants' Review Standards Remain a Mystery

When downloading related apps, it is essential to rely on official sources. In the case of the fake Uniswap App link, checking and clicking on one-star reviews would reveal that the app is a scam. Despite numerous user reports, the app has not been taken down by Google. In recent years, Google has been relatively unfriendly towards legitimate cryptocurrency apps.

At the end of last year, Google not only removed many cryptocurrency-related content from the video platform YouTube but also, in December of last year, took down the cryptocurrency wallet app MetaMask for allegedly violating the platform's "prohibition of mobile mining" policy.

In the last week, the MetaMask Android client was suspended by the Google Play App Store @googleplaydev. They cited their policy that bans mining on mobile, which we don't. Appeal rejected. #ProtectWeb3.https://t.co/rfP4EbOAqv!?zippy_activeEl=cryptocurrencies%23cryptocurrencies

— MetaMask 🦊💙 (@MetaMask) December 26, 2019

It was also reported that Apple rejected the educational rewards platform "Coinbase Earn" under the exchange Coinbase, and founder Brian Armstrong heavily criticized this on his personal Twitter, claiming that Apple restricts users from earning cryptocurrency and using DApps, likening their strict regulations to Microsoft's monopolistic behavior in the 1990s.

https://twitter.com/brian_armstrong/status/1304489988881440768

Overall, with the revival of the cryptocurrency market this year, there has been an increase in fraudulent activities. Recently, there have been fake Elon Musk scam websites, where verified Twitter accounts with blue checkmarks comment below celebrity tweets to attract attention, then release scam websites offering cryptocurrency giveaways and Tesla, in an attempt to deceive unsuspecting users of their assets. Therefore, it is crucial to be extra vigilant when filtering sources of information to prevent falling victim to scams.