Audit log

Every state-changing event for Fake Sparrow Wallet (Apple App Store): moderation decisions on community submissions, plus corrections and updates from the news pipeline. URL-based decisions are designed to carry three independent witnesses — the original source, an Internet Archive snapshot, and a Solana memo signed by our publicly-disclosed publisher key. Archive coverage is still being backfilled, so each decision below reports its own snapshot status rather than assuming one exists.

1. #1publishby system:backfill

   2026-08-10 17:19:40Z
   Score: ? → ? (no score change)
   anchorpending

   chain

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   7pdWNb9RXru3…uKLwzS76copysha256 → base58

   verifying row…

   canonical bytes (20989 B) ▸

   {"actor":"system:backfill","investigation_id":"670b2f92-11e7-4afe-8903-69e7c97cfcaa","kind":"publish","page_slug":"fake-sparrow-wallet-apple-app-store","published_at":"2026-08-10T17:19:40.010Z","sequence_num":1,"snapshot":{"content_type":"investigation","entity_name":"Fake Sparrow Wallet (Apple App Store)","sections":[{"content":"The fake Sparrow Wallet app was a counterfeit iOS application designed to impersonate Sparrow Wallet, a well-established open-source Bitcoin wallet that exists exclusively as a desktop application for Windows, macOS, and Linux. No official iOS or Android version of Sparrow Wallet has ever been published by its creator, Craig Raw. The fraudulent app passed Apple's app review process and appeared on the App Store, where it was allegedly ranked and included in curated cryptocurrency app collections alongside legitimate wallets. When users launched the app and were prompted to import an existing wallet by entering their 12- or 24-word BIP-39 recovery seed phrase, those credentials were allegedly transmitted in real time to attacker-controlled servers. Because a seed phrase provides complete control over all funds in a wallet, transfers were executed instantaneously and irreversibly. The app operated on the App Store from at least May 1, 2025 through at least August 3, 2025, a span of over three months.","heading":"Overview and Nature of the Fraud","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple Sued After Fake iOS Wallet App Drains $1.8M in Bitcoin — Crypto Times","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.cryptotimes.io/2026/07/28/apple-sued-after-fake-ios-wallet-app-drains-1-8m-in-bitcoin/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple Sued After Fake iPhone Wallet App Drained $1.8M in Bitcoin — Decrypt","type":"news_article","url":"https://decrypt.co/374628/apple-sued-after-fake-iphone-wallet-app-drained-1-8m-in-bitcoin"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple Sued by Customers Who Lost $1.8 Million Through Fake Bitcoin Wallet — MacRumors","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.macrumors.com/2026/07/25/apple-app-store-fake-bitcoin-wallet-lawsuit/"}]},{"content":"Three individuals sustained documented Bitcoin losses to the fraudulent application. Jalen Delgado downloaded the app on approximately May 1, 2025 and lost 1.05 BTC valued at approximately $120,000. James Ramirez downloaded the app on July 25, 2025, losing 7.4 BTC valued at approximately $875,000; Ramirez reported both the fraudulent application and his theft to Apple on the same day. Christopher Ellis downloaded a Sparrow Wallet app from the App Store on approximately August 3, 2025 — nine days after Ramirez's report to Apple — and lost Bitcoin valued at approximately $840,000. The combined losses total approximately $1.835 million. The lawsuit alleges that Apple had actual notice of the fraud following Ramirez's July 25 report but failed to remove the app before Ellis became a victim.","heading":"Victim Losses and Timeline of Incidents","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple Kept Fake Bitcoin Wallet on App Store After $875,000 Theft Report, Lawsuit Alleges — CoinDesk","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/07/28/apple-kept-fake-bitcoin-wallet-on-app-store-after-usd875-000-theft-report-lawsuit-alleges"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple Sued After Fake iOS Wallet App Drains $1.8M in Bitcoin — Crypto Times","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.cryptotimes.io/2026/07/28/apple-sued-after-fake-ios-wallet-app-drains-1-8m-in-bitcoin/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple Sued After Fake iPhone Wallet App Drained $1.8M in Bitcoin — Decrypt","type":"news_article","url":"https://decrypt.co/374628/apple-sued-after-fake-iphone-wallet-app-drained-1-8m-in-bitcoin"}]},{"content":"A 54-page complaint was filed on July 24, 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, docketed as Ramirez et al. v. Apple Inc., case 5:26-cv-07713. The three plaintiffs — James Ramirez, Christopher Ellis, and Jalen Delgado — bring eight counts against Apple, including fraud, negligent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, failure to warn, and strict products liability. The strict liability count argues that the App Store constitutes a product in commerce, potentially exposing Apple to liability without requiring proof of negligence. Plaintiffs allege Apple's marketing representations about the safety and security of its app review process constituted false advertising given that the fraudulent app passed review, was ranked, and was included in curated cryptocurrency collections. The complaint invokes consumer protection statutes from California, Louisiana, and Massachusetts. Plaintiffs seek compensatory and punitive damages, treble damages, restitution of the alleged stolen cryptocurrency, attorney fees, and court-ordered reforms to Apple's app review process. Apple had not filed a formal court response as of the date of reporting.","heading":"Federal Lawsuit: Ramirez et al. v. Apple Inc.","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"Apple Sued After Alleged App Store Crypto Scam Cost Users $1.8M — TechCrunch","type":"news_article","url":"https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/27/apple-sued-after-alleged-app-store-crypto-scam-cost-users-1-8m/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Three Customers Sue Apple After Fake Wallet App Wipes Out Their Bitcoin — 9to5Mac","type":"news_article","url":"https://9to5mac.com/2026/07/27/three-customers-sue-apple-after-fake-wallet-app-wipes-out-their-bitcoin/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple Sued After Fake iPhone Wallet App Drained $1.8M in Bitcoin — Decrypt","type":"news_article","url":"https://decrypt.co/374628/apple-sued-after-fake-iphone-wallet-app-drained-1-8m-in-bitcoin"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Bitcoin Lawsuit Alleges $1.8M Lost to Fake Sparrow Wallet — COINOTAG","type":"news_article","url":"https://en.coinotag.com/bitcoin-lawsuit-alleges-1-8m-lost-fake-sparrow-wallet"}]},{"content":"Craig Raw, the creator of the legitimate Sparrow Wallet and holder of registered U.S. trademarks for the Sparrow name and logo, had publicly warned about fake iOS versions of his software beginning in January 2024. On January 6, 2024, Raw posted on X (formerly Twitter): 'There is still a scam Sparrow Wallet app on the @Apple App Store, despite myself and others having reported it weeks ago. App stores will not protect you.' Raw continued flagging impersonator applications throughout 2024 and into 2025. In a further attempt to protect users, Raw submitted a placeholder iOS application to the App Store containing marketing materials explaining that Sparrow Wallet has no official mobile release and directing users to the desktop-only product. Apple rejected the submission, characterizing it as containing placeholder content and flagging Raw's developer account for termination on grounds of alleged dishonest activity. Apple subsequently reversed the account termination in June 2026, after the victims' losses had already occurred. The lawsuit characterizes this sequence of events as evidence of Apple's inconsistent and inadequate response to documented impersonation threats.","heading":"Craig Raw's Prior Warnings to Apple","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple's App Store Promoted Fake Bitcoin Wallet After Developer Spent a Year Warning Them — CryptoSlate","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptoslate.com/apples-app-store-security-promise-faces-test-as-fake-crypto-wallets-keep-getting-through/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple Responds to Lawsuit Over Fake Bitcoin Wallet Scam in App Store — MacRumors","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.macrumors.com/2026/07/27/apple-app-store-fake-bitcoin-wallet-lawsuit/"},{"credibility":3,"name":"Apple Sued Over Fake Sparrow Wallet App That Drained $1.8M in Bitcoin — TFTC","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.tftc.io/apple-sued-fake-sparrow-wallet-app-18-million-bitcoin"}]},{"content":"Apple stated it had 'taken swift action to remove any apps impersonating Sparrow Wallet on the App Store and to terminate developer accounts' associated with those apps. When asked by reporters whether Sparrow Wallet copycats were currently live, Apple stated there are currently no Sparrow Wallet copycats on the App Store but did not disclose the specific date on which the fraudulent app was removed. Apple directed users to report suspicious applications via reportaproblem.apple.com and noted that both developers and users can submit App Store guideline violation reports. Apple cited aggregate platform safety statistics — including 193,000 developer account terminations in 2025 and $9 billion in allegedly blocked fraudulent transactions between 2020 and 2024 — as evidence of its broader enforcement posture. Apple had not filed a formal response to the federal lawsuit as of late July 2026. The identities of the individuals or group who operated the fraudulent application and received the stolen funds remain publicly unknown.","heading":"Apple's Response and Current Status","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple Responds to Lawsuit Over Fake Bitcoin Wallet Scam in App Store — MacRumors","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.macrumors.com/2026/07/27/apple-app-store-fake-bitcoin-wallet-lawsuit/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple sued after users lose $1.8M to fraudulent crypto wallet app on iOS — Crypto Briefing","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptobriefing.com/apple-sued-fraudulent-crypto-wallet-app/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple Sued After Alleged Fake Crypto Wallet App Cost Users $1.8 Million — TechRepublic","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.techrepublic.com/article/news-apple-lawsuit-fake-sparrow-wallet-app/"}]},{"content":"The fraudulent application's primary attack vector was seed phrase exfiltration. Upon launch, the app prompted users to 'import' an existing Bitcoin wallet by entering a standard BIP-39 mnemonic recovery phrase of 12 or 24 words. This mirrors a legitimate workflow used by real wallet software. However, rather than deriving local private keys from the phrase, the app transmitted the seed phrase directly to attacker-controlled servers. Because a BIP-39 seed phrase is the master secret from which all wallet private keys are derived, possession of the phrase grants the holder complete and irrevocable control over all associated funds. Transfers executed by the attackers could not be reversed or recovered through any technical means. The app's interface was reported to closely replicate the appearance of the legitimate Sparrow Wallet desktop software, reducing the likelihood that a user would identify the impersonation before entering credentials.","heading":"Technical Mechanics: Seed Phrase Capture","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple Sued After Fake iOS Wallet App Drains $1.8M in Bitcoin — Crypto Times","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.cryptotimes.io/2026/07/28/apple-sued-after-fake-ios-wallet-app-drains-1-8m-in-bitcoin/"},{"credibility":3,"name":"Apple Sued Over Fake Sparrow Wallet App That Drained $1.8M in Bitcoin — TFTC","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.tftc.io/apple-sued-fake-sparrow-wallet-app-18-million-bitcoin"}]},{"content":"The fake Sparrow Wallet incident is part of a documented pattern of fraudulent cryptocurrency applications passing platform review processes. Researchers at Kaspersky identified at least 26 fraudulent applications mimicking major cryptocurrency brands — including MetaMask, Ledger, Trust Wallet, and Coinbase — with campaigns active since at least late 2024. A fake Ledger Live app on the Apple App Store allegedly stole approximately $9.5 million from more than 50 victims as of April 2026. A fake Trezor wallet app was removed from the App Store in 2023. A fraudulent Rabby Wallet app was linked to theft in 2024. A counterfeit trading app named Swiftcrypt caused losses exceeding $80,000 in 2025. The lawsuit in the Sparrow Wallet case argues this history of recurring incidents demonstrates a systemic failure in Apple's app review process rather than an isolated oversight.","heading":"Broader Pattern: Fake Crypto Wallets on App Stores","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple's App Store Promoted Fake Bitcoin Wallet After Developer Spent a Year Warning Them — CryptoSlate","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptoslate.com/apples-app-store-security-promise-faces-test-as-fake-crypto-wallets-keep-getting-through/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple accused of letting fake crypto app steal $1.8 million — Malwarebytes","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2026/07/apple-accused-of-letting-fake-crypto-app-steal-1-8-million"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Three Customers Sue Apple After Fake Wallet App Wipes Out Their Bitcoin — 9to5Mac","type":"news_article","url":"https://9to5mac.com/2026/07/27/three-customers-sue-apple-after-fake-wallet-app-wipes-out-their-bitcoin/"}]},{"content":"As of the date of this investigation, the individuals or organizations responsible for creating and operating the fraudulent Sparrow Wallet application have not been publicly identified. No law enforcement agency has announced charges or named suspects in connection with this specific incident. Apple terminated the developer accounts associated with the fraudulent apps, but the underlying identities of the account holders have not been disclosed publicly. The stolen Bitcoin has not been recovered. The lawsuit is directed at Apple as the platform operator; no civil claims against the app's creators have been publicly filed, likely because their identities remain unknown.","heading":"Identity of the Perpetrators","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple Kept Fake Bitcoin Wallet on App Store After $875,000 Theft Report, Lawsuit Alleges — CoinDesk","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/07/28/apple-kept-fake-bitcoin-wallet-on-app-store-after-usd875-000-theft-report-lawsuit-alleges"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple Sued After Alleged Fake Crypto Wallet App Cost Users $1.8 Million — TechRepublic","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.techrepublic.com/article/news-apple-lawsuit-fake-sparrow-wallet-app/"}]}],"sources_used":[{"credibility":1,"name":"Apple Sued After Alleged App Store Crypto Scam Cost Users $1.8M — TechCrunch","type":"news_article","url":"https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/27/apple-sued-after-alleged-app-store-crypto-scam-cost-users-1-8m/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Three Customers Sue Apple After Fake Wallet App Wipes Out Their Bitcoin — 9to5Mac","type":"news_article","url":"https://9to5mac.com/2026/07/27/three-customers-sue-apple-after-fake-wallet-app-wipes-out-their-bitcoin/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple Kept Fake Bitcoin Wallet on App Store After $875,000 Theft Report, Lawsuit Alleges — CoinDesk","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/07/28/apple-kept-fake-bitcoin-wallet-on-app-store-after-usd875-000-theft-report-lawsuit-alleges"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple Sued After Fake iOS Wallet App Drains $1.8M in Bitcoin — Crypto Times","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.cryptotimes.io/2026/07/28/apple-sued-after-fake-ios-wallet-app-drains-1-8m-in-bitcoin/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple Sued After Users Lose $1.8M to Fraudulent Crypto Wallet App on iOS — Crypto Briefing","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptobriefing.com/apple-sued-fraudulent-crypto-wallet-app/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple Sued After Fake iPhone Wallet App Drained $1.8M in Bitcoin — Decrypt","type":"news_article","url":"https://decrypt.co/374628/apple-sued-after-fake-iphone-wallet-app-drained-1-8m-in-bitcoin"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple Sued by Customers Who Lost Combined $1.8 Million Through Fake Bitcoin Wallet — MacRumors","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.macrumors.com/2026/07/25/apple-app-store-fake-bitcoin-wallet-lawsuit/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple Responds to Lawsuit Over Fake Bitcoin Wallet Scam in App Store — MacRumors","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.macrumors.com/2026/07/27/apple-app-store-fake-bitcoin-wallet-lawsuit/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple's App Store Promoted Fake Bitcoin Wallet After Developer Spent a Year Warning Them — CryptoSlate","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptoslate.com/apples-app-store-security-promise-faces-test-as-fake-crypto-wallets-keep-getting-through/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple Accused of Letting Fake Crypto App Steal $1.8 Million — Malwarebytes","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2026/07/apple-accused-of-letting-fake-crypto-app-steal-1-8-million"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple Sued After Alleged Fake Crypto Wallet App Cost Users $1.8 Million — TechRepublic","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.techrepublic.com/article/news-apple-lawsuit-fake-sparrow-wallet-app/"},{"credibility":3,"name":"Apple Sued Over Fake Sparrow Wallet App That Drained $1.8M in Bitcoin — TFTC","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.tftc.io/apple-sued-fake-sparrow-wallet-app-18-million-bitcoin"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Apple Faces Lawsuit Over Fake Bitcoin App — Crypto News","type":"news_article","url":"https://crypto.news/apple-faces-1-8m-lawsuit-over-fake-bitcoin-app/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Bitcoin Lawsuit Alleges $1.8M Lost to Fake Sparrow Wallet — COINOTAG","type":"news_article","url":"https://en.coinotag.com/bitcoin-lawsuit-alleges-1-8m-lost-fake-sparrow-wallet"}],"summary":"A fraudulent iOS application impersonating Sparrow Wallet — a legitimate Bitcoin wallet that has no official iOS release — passed Apple's App Store review process and operated on the platform between at least May and August 2025, draining a combined $1.84 million in Bitcoin from three victims by capturing their seed phrases. Three plaintiffs filed a federal lawsuit against Apple on July 24, 2026 in the Northern District of California, case 5:26-cv-07713, alleging negligence, fraudulent misrepresentation, and strict products liability; the actual perpetrators behind the fraudulent app remain unidentified.","timeline":[{"date":"2024-01-06","event":"Sparrow Wallet creator Craig Raw publicly warned on X that a fake Sparrow Wallet app remained on Apple's App Store despite weeks of reports from himself and others.","source":"CryptoSlate","source_url":"https://cryptoslate.com/apples-app-store-security-promise-faces-test-as-fake-crypto-wallets-keep-getting-through/"},{"date":"2025-05-01","event":"Plaintiff Jalen Delgado downloaded the fraudulent Sparrow Wallet app from the Apple App Store and lost approximately 1.05 BTC (~$120,000) after entering his seed phrase.","source":"CoinDesk","source_url":"https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/07/28/apple-kept-fake-bitcoin-wallet-on-app-store-after-usd875-000-theft-report-lawsuit-alleges"},{"date":"2025-07-25","event":"Plaintiff James Ramirez downloaded the fraudulent app and lost approximately 7.4 BTC (~$875,000). Ramirez reported the fraudulent app and his loss to Apple the same day.","source":"Decrypt","source_url":"https://decrypt.co/374628/apple-sued-after-fake-iphone-wallet-app-drained-1-8m-in-bitcoin"},{"date":"2025-08-03","event":"Plaintiff Christopher Ellis downloaded a Sparrow Wallet app from the App Store — nine days after Ramirez's theft report to Apple — and lost approximately $840,000 in Bitcoin.","source":"Crypto Times","source_url":"https://www.cryptotimes.io/2026/07/28/apple-sued-after-fake-ios-wallet-app-drains-1-8m-in-bitcoin/"},{"date":"2026-06-01","event":"Apple reversed its earlier decision to terminate Craig Raw's developer account, which had been flagged after Raw submitted a placeholder iOS app warning users that Sparrow Wallet has no official mobile release.","source":"MacRumors","source_url":"https://www.macrumors.com/2026/07/27/apple-app-store-fake-bitcoin-wallet-lawsuit/"},{"date":"2026-07-24","event":"James Ramirez, Christopher Ellis, and Jalen Delgado filed a 54-page federal complaint against Apple in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, case 5:26-cv-07713, bringing eight counts including fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and strict products liability.","source":"Decrypt","source_url":"https://decrypt.co/374628/apple-sued-after-fake-iphone-wallet-app-drained-1-8m-in-bitcoin"},{"date":"2026-07-27","event":"Apple stated publicly that there are currently no Sparrow Wallet copycats on the App Store and that it had removed impersonating apps and terminated associated developer accounts. Apple did not disclose the removal date.","source":"MacRumors","source_url":"https://www.macrumors.com/2026/07/27/apple-app-store-fake-bitcoin-wallet-lawsuit/"},{"date":"2026-07-27","event":"TechCrunch, 9to5Mac, Decrypt, CoinDesk, and other outlets reported on the lawsuit; Apple declined to comment on the litigation itself.","source":"TechCrunch","source_url":"https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/27/apple-sued-after-alleged-app-store-crypto-scam-cost-users-1-8m/"}]},"v":1}

   Verify offline (run on your own machine)

   python -m src.verify_decision ad414a13-bde0-4be1-ada4-98ff6fd96e03copy