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A data harvesting app called Freecash appears to have tricked users as it quickly rose to the top charts on the App Store and Google Play, where it sat for months until a recent ban. If you’ve been on TikTok this year, you’ve more than likely encountered ads for Freecash. The app has been marketed as a way to make money just by scrolling TikTok — and jumped to the top of the app stores in recent months, peaking at the No. 2 position in the U.S. App Store. In truth, Freecash pays users to play mobile games — all the while collecting a heaping amount of sensitive data, according to cybersecurity company Malwarebytes. A Malwarebytes report notes that the app may collect information about users’ race, religion, sex life, sexual orientation, health, and other biometrics, adding that the app is essentially a data broker looking to match game developers with users who are willing to install and spend money on mobile games. Games promoted on Freecash include Monopoly Go and Disney Solitaire, among others. Before Freecash rocketed to the top of the Apple and Google app stores, it was created under two different developer accounts. Third-party data from market intelligence provider Appfigures shows that Almedia GmbH, the German company behind the Freecash app, first submitted Freecash to the Apple App Store on March 24, 2024, but it was removed after around two months on June 13, 2024. (Appmagic sees its removal on June 12 — see below.) This version of the app was downloaded an estimated 69.5K times before removal, Appfigures said.