A counterfeit application mimicking the decentralized finance protocol Curve has alarmingly surfaced on Apple’s App Store, prompting an urgent warning from the protocol’s developers on February 14. Curve’s team emphatically stated that there is no official DeFi Curve application available, cautioning users against scams and to remain vigilant against deceptive apps bearing Curve’s logo.
The dubious app is attributed to MK Technology Co. Ltd. Its associated website, hosted on Google Sites, offers scant details beyond a solitary ProtonMail contact and the name “Curve Finance.” No additional applications from MK Technology are present on the App Store, raising further suspicions about the legitimacy of this app.
Despite its questionable origins, the app has garnered a 4.6-star rating from nine reviews. It advertises itself as a robust tool for managing loans and borrowers, peculiarly incorporating a gaming section with puzzle games—a feature incongruous with Curve’s DeFi functionalities. The true intent behind this app, whether it’s a benign infringement of Curve’s branding or a malicious attempt to defraud users by hijacking wallet assets through in-app mechanisms, remains uncertain.
The issue of counterfeit crypto applications is not new and continues to plague the digital finance ecosystem. Notable incidents include the removal of a fake Trezor wallet app by Apple on June 21, 2023, which deceitfully asked users for their wallet seed phrases, leading to potential crypto theft. Similarly, Microsoft eradicated a fraudulent Ledger app on November 5, 2023, which was implicated in the theft of $588,000 across 38 transactions before being taken down. These episodes underscore the ongoing challenges and risks associated with navigating the crypto application landscape, emphasizing the need for heightened vigilance among users.
