Unauthorized money deductions by SmartyMe app on App Store

Honestyfirst wrote:

I Had the same experience. My account was immediately charged $9.99 and $19.99. I didn’t sign up for anything additional. I contacted customer service and they are not helpful at all. Apple needs to remove this app.

If your case was like the others here, there was not even the app that was involved and the subscription charge originated from a purchase on a website. Removing an app does not stop that from happening and the charges were not billed through Apple using an in-app purchase. If you are looking to stop the subscription charges from occurring in the first place, you have to remove the scam from the website that promoted it and the user inadvertently signed up for it.

For those that have downloaded the app, there are 2 additional steps that should be done:

• Report the app to Apple by going to reportaproblem.apple.com and choose the option for Fraud/Scam.
• Write a review for the app in the App Store, so others who are looking to download the app will see your experience.

Same here and it's insane that apple has done ntn about it considering all the complaints. The crazy thing is that they charged an account not registered on apple which means they stole my information. Any charge from any app, even YouTube comes up as apple.com on my account but not this one.

App Store has included an app that is charging unauthorized access to customers’ accounts. There is no way to contact them by phone. Their email address doesn’t help get any answers.

please help. This is happening to many people.

I heard this smarty me app being advertised as something to do instead of scrolling through mindless instagram or YouTube or social media networks, they touted to instead pick a category to improve your learning such as math, history, science, etc. so I signed up for the free trial only to realize I was going to be charged 24.98 within a few days if I didn’t cancel a day before, I cancelled immediately and signed up for a lower amount option that cost I believe 6.98 after 2 days of trying it out, I decided I would not use it either and canceled that as well. Very quickly I noticed on my phone I had a charge for the 24.98 shortly after I had cancelled the second SmartyMe trial of two days. I could find zero information in my Apple purchase history or my Apple subscription history which was very strange! I am currently waiting on hold for an Apple advisor in the Apple app department. I am thankful for Apple’s service when I call for help resolving issues!!i am still on hold as they are very busy! I just was able to talk to Apple support and she found out the purchase I made for SmartyMe was not made through apple’s App Store but I made it clicking on the advertisement page I saw and that is why I cannot find the purchase easily on my phone! The SmartyMe app did not cancel my subscription and still charged me so my next step will be to call my bank to be sure they do not continue to charge me. I also sent an email asking SmartyMe not to charge me in the future! Thank you again Apple Support!

The app has nothing to do with the subscription you had and you don't even need the app to see the subscription charges. SmartyApp partners with many websites where you made a purchase and there was an option for a reduced price. In the details there was likely more information, but it was overlooked. What you agreed to was a free trial that would become a subscription. The charge you see likely occurred from a transaction made 30 days ago when the free trial started.

This has nothing to do with Apple and you would have been charged whether you had an iPhone, Android phone, or no phone at all and made a purchase from a different device where there was not even an app. It does not require you to create a different account and the website you used that partnered with Smarty is who you should contact or refuse to give them your business. Review your purchase history with that payment method and look for places where purchases were made probably 30 days before you saw the first charge and it should not be too difficult to figure out the source.

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to share something I discovered today – the company (app) charged my account twice, totaling around 50 euros. I had to block and replace my card.

What’s strange is that I never created an account or confirmed any subscription with them. I’ve already sent them an email asking to cancel the subscription, but the whole situation seems very suspicious to me.

I don’t understand how Apple even allows such an app in the App Store. It should be banned immediately.

Does anyone know what kind of consequences will be taken against this company?

I received a response from SmartyMe – they said that after careful consideration, they have approved my refund request, and the refund is being processed. They mentioned I should receive the money within 10 business days. Let’s see if this actually happens and if I do get my money back.

They got me last month and this month, each time it was double charge $50 so I already lost $100. Very angry.

I cant even login, and when I tried to send password recovery the automate email announced it is too busy!

Please be aware. This company is dishonest, scam and should be brought to judge!

I Had the same experience. My account was immediately charged $9.99 and $19.99. I didn’t sign up for anything additional. I contacted customer service and they are not helpful at all. Apple needs to remove this app.

MyGrowth.com got me, I think on Instagram. The app was okay (learn history). But I canceled it as it did not meet my needs. I thought nothing more of it.

And JUST NOW I see 3 months of $20.39 charges "TOP.SMARTY-ME.COM LIMASSOL"

Which led me to this page.

They are both based out of Cyprus, I see.

Update to my post:

At first I thought maybe it was MyGrowth.com that I downloaded in June of 2025. The app was okay (learn history). But I canceled it as it did not meet my needs. I thought nothing more of it.

But as I look closer, the SMARTY charges started at $9.99 in Nov 2024, and it bumped up to $20.39 in December 2024, and I have been charged every month! Dang!

"SMARTYMEAPP.COM"

"TOP.SMARTY-ME.COM LIMASSOL"

They are both based out of Cyprus, I see.

I have no idea if I ever downloaded any app, as I see none on my phone or Mac from this company in the App Store.

JonKernPA2 wrote:

I asked to cancel, and they complied right away. (I will check in one month's time.)

I am also asking for a refund of the nearly $200 (and to let me know what app, if any, I supposedly was using).

It was not from an app at all. You went to a website that offered the service and were tricked into a subscription. It is not just nefarious websites where it is seen as Ebay users have seen it where a purchase will be discounted by clicking a button (which is the Smarty subscription) and even some online bill pay services such as AT&T have the ad pop up where you can get a reduction in your payment.

With it being back in November it may be difficult to remember what website it was. It is usually related to a purchase where they offer a discount and starts as a free trial, so the actual purchase would have been before the first Smarty charge you saw, and maybe a month before if it was a 30 day free trial.

I was scammed by these fraudsters today. Three unauthorised transactions, literally money stolen.

Smart me is a scam. I’ve been charged for 3 months, I didn’t sign up and I can’t contact them to cancel. How did anyone cancel them. rip off!

How do I cancel SmartyMe app? I’m being serendipitously charged.