British-based security software and hardware company Sophos revealed it has uncovered multiple apps masquerading as legitimate ChatGPT chatbots.

These fake apps which have circulated both the Google Play and App Store, have forced unsuspecting users into signing up for a subscription fee. While OpenAI offers the basic functionality of ChatGPT for free, these apps are charging users an amount from $10 a month to $70 a year.

An iOS version of ChatGPT called “Ask AI Assistant”, charges users $6 a week or $12 a year after a free three-day trial. Reports reveal that in March alone, the developers amassed $10,000.

Speaking on how these apps coerce users into subscribing, Principal Threat researcher at Sophos Sean Gallagher said,

“Scammers have and always will use the latest trends or technology to line their pockets. ChatGPT is no exception. With interest in Al and chatbots arguably at an all-time high, users are turning to the Apple App and Google Play Stores to download anything that resembles ChatGPT. These types of scam apps What Sophos has dubbed “fleece Ware’ often bombard users with ads until they sign up for a subscription.

“They’re banking on the fact that users won’t pay attention to the cost or simply forget that they have this subscription. They’re specifically designed so that they may not get much use after the free trial ends, so users delete the app without realizing they’re still on the hook for a monthly or weekly payment”.

According to findings, Sophos revealed that most of these apps using the ChatGPT algorithm, are doing so to enhance their app’s ranking on Google Play store or App Store. It disclosed that most of these apps are poorly written and developed, as the app function is usually less than the ideal version.

These apps also inflate their ratings in the app store or Google Play store through fake reviews and persistent requests of users to rate the app even before they are done with the free trial.

Sophos revealed that as it continues to take down some of these fake apps, more have continued to emerge. The company has therefore urged users to also play a part in curbing the increase of these apps, by reporting to Google or Apple if they suspect that they are not genuine.

Here Are Some Ways to Spot Some Fake ChatGPT Apps

• Double-check the developers

OpenAI is the developer behind ChatGPT. So, any other chatbot apps on the App Store and all chatbot apps on the Google Play Store are products of other developers. 

• Check the reviews

Like most review sections, the reviews raving about the app will be at the top of the reviews section, giving you the idea that most people enjoy the app. But many fake app creators pay for positive app reviews. 

• Check the app permissions

Some of these apps are a privacy risk, as the app’s permissions are unnecessarily overreaching compared to the app’s purpose.  Before downloading an app that claims to be ChatGPT-adjacent, check out its app permissions.

Investors King understands that it is no surprise that there are many fake ChatGPT apps on the Google play store or App Store, as the app is the fastest-growing app of all time, hence some mischievous developers want to capitalize on it by rolling out the fake version to generate money. 

Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp has rolled out a new feature known as ‘status archive’ for business accounts.

The ‘Status Archive’ feature will enable users conveniently manage their archive preferences and access their archived statuses directly from the menu within the status tab. Notably, the archived statuses will remain private and will be visible to only the respective businesses.

The archived statuses can be stored for up to 30 days on the user’s device, during this period, businesses can still create advertisements for either Instagram or Facebook or share status updates until it expires from the archive.

Investors King understands that this feature will be very pivotal for businesses, as it provides them with the opportunity to repost a status from their archived and share it with customers to enhance their business outreach.

The ‘status archive’ feature is currently available for beta users and is expected to roll out to a wider range of users in the coming weeks.

Once available, users will get a banner in the app’s Status tab, suggesting that updates will be kept on their devices for up to 30 days after it is shared. This feature is only limited to business accounts.

WhatsApp has in less than a decade become the most popular app for personal and business conversations. This has seen it become a widely used tool by business owners as it offers them a fast, simple, and convenient way to carry out their businesses and transactions.

With WhatsApp, companies can send appointment reminders, order notifications, product demonstration videos, verification codes, boarding passes, amongst others. It’s immediate, more personal, and international in reach. It also provides reliable delivery information, providing businesses the additional benefit of knowing what messages have been delivered and, ultimately, read.

The introduction of WhatsApp as a business tool is no doubt monumental. With its extensive reach, highly engaged user base, and rich communications capabilities, it has the potential to become one of the most powerful customer engagement channels on the market today, especially for those businesses serving a global audience.

Africa’s leading entertainment company Multichoice has launched a fintech platform known as ‘Moment’ to offer expanded payment infrastructure for businesses across Africa.

The company disclosed that its fintech platform will consolidate the $3.5 billion in payments that it processes, and also help consumers to spend and save money wisely.

Speaking on the launch of its fintech platform ‘Moment’, the company said,

“Moment offers expanded payment infrastructure for businesses across Africa to help them collect and make payments easier, quicker, and more affordable in any manner that their buyers or suppliers prefer. Moment will also offer additional options for consumers to spend and save money more wisely. The aim is to transform the African payments landscape by making digital payments more accessible and reliable for domestic, cross-border, and global payments.

Also speaking Multichoice Group CEO Calvo Mawela said,

“Investing in this venture is a logical progression for us, as we already process payments every month from 22 million households across 50 countries. Moment fulfills our strategy to expand our ecosystem by investing in adjacent businesses that provide scalable services, underpinned by technology”.

Moment aims to make digital transactions more accessible to the 350 million consumers that are under-banked or not banked at all. Eventually, it will offer payments across more than 40 countries and hundreds of payment methods to collect, disburse and manage risk.

Investors King understands that the long-term plan is to provide the infrastructure for pan-African payments for the 44 million small businesses operating on the continent and reduce the reliance on cash for payments”.

Some of the other long-term offerings include;

•Payments, Savings, and rewards for consumers

•Payment tools, deep inventory to sell, and financial services for micro-entrepreneurs and SMEs

•Drive adoption of PayShap, TCIB, NQR, and other real-time payment methods across all markets.

•Global-Africa trade for importers and exporters with virtual accounts in 40+ currencies and local payments in 130+ countries.

MultiChoice Group which was listed on the Main Board of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) on 27 February 2019, is no doubt one of the fastest-growing video entertainment providers globally, delivering entertainment products and services to 22 million households across 50 countries on the African continent.

In 2020, MultiChoice had a total subscriber base of 20.1 million viewers throughout Africa, and reports asserted that it was one of the fastest-growing pay-TV operators globally.

Its track record of more than 35 years is reflective of a commitment to providing audiences with only the best local, sports, and international content.