Nov 08, 2016 07:11 AM EST By Audri Taylors, UniversityHerald Reporter

It's the most wonderful time of the year once again, it is also the most awaited time of scammers to take advantage of innocent consumers who are vulnerable to abuse and deceit.

And because of the Christmas rush, hundreds of fake retail iPhone apps have been released which can increase the consumers' risk of getting scammed.

According to Chris Mason, chief executive of Branding Brand, a Pittsburgh company that helps retailers build and maintain apps, this is the first time that he had seen so many fake iPhone apps come out despite the constant tracking of his company. And although he said that most of these are rather harmless, there is still a serious risk that comes along with the use of these counterfeit apps.

The shoppers who will be entering their credit card information could be at risk of financial fraud. Some of these apps might also contain malware that can be used for identity theft or have the customers to login using their account to their social media to steal their personal information.

According to New York Times, these apps are disguised as if these are the branded and popular retailers such as Dollar Tree, Foot Locker, Dillard's, Nordstrom, Zappos.com, Polyvore, and signature brands like Jimmy Choo, Christian Dior and Salvatore Ferragamo apps.

These fake apps are known to have originated from the developers in China and have surprisingly slipped into iTunes. On Thursday night, Apple already removed hundreds of these rogue apps and still continues to review other Apps in their app store.

Meanwhile, the spokesman of Apple, Tom Neumayr, already advised their consumers to be careful about the use of these apps while Apple continues with their investigation, and assures that the security of the customers are ensured.

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