[shinycode]

When I first published my app, they asked for a video of video fully working. Then once I had a bug and they sent me a video of it with the steps to the bug. So there are definitely people opening and testing apps

[phreack]

Yeah, same here, the only explanation I can think of is that the scammers have someone on the inside approving these fake apps.

[valuearb]

No, the reviewers never see the scam screens. Once approved the scammers change a setting in the cloud and the app starts opening in scam mode.

[sireat]

If the app is working properly during review, why change it to nonworking later on?

It is like that Key and Peele skit about robbing a bank by working there.

If you can create a working app why not leave it as is ?

[valuearb]

It was likely a very poor keyboard. Just operating well enough to pass review. Once a user saw it, no one is buying.

[tmp538394722]

The more boring reason: some review employees are bad at their job

[ascagnel_]

Given the up-and-down, seemingly always controversial (and sometimes adversarial nature) of how Apple performs their app reviews and enforces their rules, I think it's 50% on lazy/bad reviewers and 50% poorly-communicated rules and regulations.

[danmur]

I wonder if there are a load of failed submissions too. They'd want to minimise effort so I guess they'd have good ways to quickly rebranding an app as a new one.

[ndiddy]

Or the app talks to a remote server so it works normally during the review period, but after the app gets approved the author changes a flag on the server and the app changes to "scam mode".