26 FakeWallet Apps Found on Apple App Store Targeting Crypto Seed Phrases

Security researchers have identified 26 fraudulent cryptocurrency wallet apps on Apple's App Store that are designed to steal users' seed phrases — the master keys that grant full access to cryptocurrency wallets and the funds they hold.

The fake wallet apps, which have been appearing on the App Store since fall 2025, exploit Apple's China-region developer accounts to gain distribution, according to a report from The Hacker News. Once downloaded, the apps prompt users to enter or create a wallet recovery phrase — a 12- or 24-word sequence that serves as the ultimate backup for accessing cryptocurrency holdings. When users enter this information, it is transmitted directly to the scammers, who can then drain the wallet completely.

The discovery is particularly alarming because Apple's App Store is generally considered one of the more secure app distribution platforms, with a rigorous review process designed to prevent malicious software from reaching users. The fact that 26 fraudulent apps made it through that review process — and remained available long enough to potentially affect thousands of users — raises serious questions about the adequacy of app store security vetting, particularly for financial applications.

Seed phrase theft is one of the most devastating forms of crypto fraud because it gives attackers complete and irreversible access to a victim's funds. Unlike credit card fraud, where transactions can be reversed and accounts can be frozen, cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible by design. Once a seed phrase is compromised, the associated funds can be moved to wallets beyond the reach of any authority.

Users are advised to never enter their seed phrase into any app, regardless of how legitimate it appears. Legitimate wallet apps generate seed phrases for users to write down and store offline — they should never ask users to input an existing seed phrase within the app itself.

What This Means For You: If you own cryptocurrency, treat your seed phrase like the combination to a vault — never enter it in any app, never store it digitally, and never share it with anyone. The 26 fake apps on Apple's App Store prove that even the most trusted platforms can be compromised. If you've recently downloaded a crypto wallet app, verify it is from the official developer, and when in doubt, use only well-known, open-source wallet software.