Free money scam apps

Free money scam apps
Fake money-making apps promise wealth but deliver only frustration, wasted time, and shattered trust. True success never comes from shortcuts paved with deception.
Genre(s): Various Platform(s): iOS Android Release Date: 2020-present Engine: Unity (mostly)

Free money scam apps are games or applications that deceive users into thinking they can earn money through the app, only to end up doing the opposite.

These games started to show up in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, in which many people stayed at home instead of working. Unlike most apps that give you money for playing other games and taking surveys (Swagbucks for other good instances), these apps are wasting your time and won't give you money. It is also proof that developers are exploiting the mobile game industry for good after false mobile game advertising and microtransactions.

Why They Are Nothing but Scams and Should "Cash-Out"

⚠

Warning! These apps have gained extreme infamy for scamming and other reasons listed below. Since the activities of these apps are potentially illegal, no positive pointers/redeeming qualities will be allowed on this page. Anyone who is caught adding redeeming qualities on this page will have to be dealt with and have their edits reverted.

1. The primary issue with these applications, as mentioned previously, is that they are outright scams. Despite claims that they provide a way to earn money, this is not true.
2. They create the impression that earning a living doesn't require work and that one can easily make money without effort or hard work.
3. Many of these games are essentially reskins of one another, utilizing the same Unity game engine, which facilitates the easy reskinning of apps to give them a distinct appearance.
   • "Kitty Town" is essentially "Puppy Town" with a new skin, where puppies are substituted with kittens.
4. Many of the games also rip off other legit games, such as Lucky Blast which rips off Toy Blast.
5. They are often very boring; all you do is click on the screen and watch video ads to get more balls to drop.
6. All they do is spam advertisements in your face; in fact, if you want to earn "free money" you have to watch ads to get more balls or wait for a long time.
   • Some apps even give you an ad for declining the reward ad, making it a scummy way to give someone an ad.
   • Sometimes, some games do not have ads; instead, they give you a test ad.
   • Some games, like Tree for Money, require you to watch 100 Video Ads just to redeem a $100 card. Or in some cases, watch MILLIONS of ads for a few days.
7. Certain games, such as "Tree for Money", offer a subscription service costing $10 to remove ads for a week. However, considering it's a money-making scheme, you're essentially spending $10 for no real benefit.
8. These games are programmed to stop giving you the money coins at a certain number (usually $90) which are required to get the PayPal rewards. The same goes for the fruits in which the missing fruits you will need will not spawn.
9. Even some apps that require you to do surveys and do offers, are also scams. Such as Clipclaps, they will decline your withdrawal for the reason "irregular activity" despite them not telling the user what they did, even the $0.10 payment can get declined and you won't get it at all.
10. Also, much like Skillz, there are even some apps that require you to deposit money into the app just to claim your money, which is a scam because not only the money you deposited into the app will only count as bonus cash which is not withdrawable but an another company called AviaGames which also makes scam apps, has been reported to send user's credit card information to various scammers to steal money from them, which is fraud.
11. False advertising: Numerous game advertisements promise to transfer money to your PayPal, CashApp, or Venmo account, which is completely false. As previously stated, you're not actually earning any money.
    • Many advertisements are often produced in China, which can be identified by the poor grammar and subpar lip-syncing.
      • Some of these ads use text-to-speech, in which is very noticeable.
    • Some even steal video clips of people's reactions.
      • Some of the ads, notably the Skillz ones (another scam app developer) pay celebrities' Cameos to make them look good and legitimate, so they can get more downloads. They don't even bother to blur out the Cameo watermark.
        • In fact, some of these developers steal clips from Vinsane/App Crusader and then edit them to make their app look good. Vinsane later told people that if they see him in an ad, the game is a scam.
        • Recently, there have been ads on YouTube displaying Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, giving out $750 for example, or something else like PlayStation gift cards. Since Donaldson is known for his videos involving money or other expensive things, scammers often capitalize on him and try to fool people into believing that it's real.
        • Some ads even feature fictional people and try to make a story about someone being poor and finding a cash app.
      • Numerous advertisements denounce competing apps as fraudulent while claiming their own app is legitimate, yet in truth, they are all scams.
12. Numerous games suffer from poor optimization and frequently crash.
13. The developers often struggle with criticism, as some advertisements have seen them blaming users for labeling their app as a scam, which may indeed be the case.
14. Since 2021, they changed their tactics to now advertise that they give free Robux on Roblox. It is the same game as before, but it now gives free Robux rather than real money. However, like the rest of the games, they are nothing but scams.
15. Indeed and to make it seriously worse, some games may seriously contain malware, and it will infect your entire phone if you played it.
16. These apps are frequently featured on Google Play, often due to the poor-quality control present on these platforms.

How to Avoid Them

• Research the app before downloading—check reviews, developer credentials, and ratings.
• Avoid apps that promise unrealistic rewards with minimal effort.
• Be cautious about sharing personal or financial information.
• Stick to legitimate platforms for earning money, such as freelance work, apps that you will find and get your job in a legitimate and real way, verified gig economy apps, or secure investment platforms.

How To Spot a Scam Game Like This

Unrealistic Promises

• Claims like "Earn $500 daily with no effort" or "Get rich instantly" are major red flags.
• Legitimate opportunities rarely guarantee significant earnings with minimal input.

No Verifiable Information

• Lack of a legitimate company name, address, or contact details.
• Developers are often anonymous or hard to trace.

High Upfront Fees

• Asking for an initial payment for "membership," "processing," or "unlocking" higher earning tiers.
• Legitimate apps don’t require upfront investments.

Overwhelming Ads

• Apps flooded with intrusive ads that generate revenue for the developer but offer little to users.
• Often require users to watch endless ads without tangible rewards.

Vague Payment Policies

• High payout thresholds (e.g., needing to earn $1,000 before you can withdraw).
• No clear explanation of payout methods or timelines.
• Payments often delayed or never materialize.

Excessive Permissions

• Requests for access to sensitive information like contacts, location, or banking details without a valid reason.
• Could indicate an attempt to steal personal data.

Poor or Fake Reviews

• Overwhelmingly positive reviews with generic language or fake accounts.
• Lack of balanced reviews detailing both pros and cons.

Lack of Transparency

• No terms and conditions or privacy policy.
• Evasive answers or no response from customer support when contacted.

Push for Recruitment

• Heavy emphasis on referrals, making earnings dependent on recruiting others.
• May resemble a pyramid scheme rather than a legitimate business model.

Low Ratings on Official Stores

• Often rated poorly on the App Store or Google Play due to scams or poor functionality.
• Many reports of users not being able to cash out.

Unsecured App or Website

• URLs or apps without HTTPS (a secure connection) or apps downloaded from unofficial sources.
• Malware or phishing attempts could be hidden within the app.

• General Rule of Thumb: If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Comments

Loading comments...