Vietnamese tricked into downloading, paying for ChatGPT ‘apps’

It is available for free at chat.openai.com but not yet in Vietnam.

“Many people were curious and installed fake apps instead, and were told to pay if they want to use them,” Duc Cuong, a technician at a media firm in Hanoi’s Tu Liem District, said.

Since the ChatGPT craze appeared in Vietnam in late January, most people who requested his help thought it was an app that could be downloaded from a digital store.

On the App Store and Play Store, several apps masquerading as ChatGPT can be seen. A search with the keyword “ChatGPT” comes up with hundreds of results, with several apps recording up to a million downloads. Many have logos that are similar to OpenAI’s.

Most have a poorly designed interface, and always demand payment for use.

A user named HuyNg commented on an app that masqueraded as ChatGPT with a 1-star rating: “The apps don’t work. I haven’t used them yet and they required me to pay up. Beware of scams.”

The Nam, an administrator of a social media group for using ChatGPT, said he is asked questions like “How to install ChatGPT on an iPhone?” and “Where can I find a link to download ChatGPT?”

“People need to understand that OpenAI has yet to make ChatGPT available as an app. It is available for free through web browsers. As such, one should consider carefully before paying money for an app that calls itself ChatGPT.”

Cybersecurity experts also warn that criminals could make use of the ChatGPT craze to steal data by tricking them into downloading counterfeit apps.

“Which app should I install in order to use ChatGPT?” is a question that Duc Cuong, a technician at a media firm in Hanoi’s Tu Liem District, has heard frequently in the past couple days. When the ChatGPT craze swept over Vietnam since late January, most people who requested his help thought that ChatGPT was an app that could be downloaded from a digital store.