Fighting back
Whether you’re a customer or a developer, there are things you can do when one of the App Store fakers has hoodwinked you into buying something that wasn’t what it seemed, or which is directly attacking your livelihood with the selfsame apps or games.
From the consumer side of things, legislation is now pretty strong in the EU, and that means anyone now has the right to request a refund on any digital purchase made. This includes not only the App Store, but also the likes of Google Play and the Amazon Appstore if you buy something for Android that you enjoyed on iOS and rapidly discover it is in fact a fake. (This problem, while an issue on the App Store, is significantly worse on Google Play.)
For iOS fakes, all you need to do within 14 days of receiving your receipt is sign in with your Apple ID at reportaproblem.apple.com, find the app in question, click the relevant Report a Problem button, choose the most relevant problem from the menu, and then politely request a refund in the text field, along with noting that the app or game was a fake. (People outside of the EU can use the same link, even if they may not have the same level of consumer protection.)
For a developer who discovers an App Store product they believe violates their intellectual property rights, the road can be somewhat longer, but the first step is to visit apple.com/legal/internet-services/ itunes/appstorenotices/ and fill in the forms to submit a claim to the App Store Legal Team. On identifying the infringing app and describing the problem, Apple will then respond with a reference number and put you in contact with the provider of the disputed app. In some cases, this should be enough to scare off a scammer. You then follow up with the App Store Legal Team by email with your reference number in the subject line. As noted already, developers say that this process can be long-winded and problematic, but it’s nonetheless worth pursuing if you have the time and inclination.