Safari extension TabControl Extension caught using fake AI-generated screenshots and reviews to rank in Mac App Store

A paid Safari extension named TabControl Extension reached the #13 spot in the United States Mac App Store despite relying on fabricated promotional material. The App Store listing uses an AI-generated image instead of a real Safari screenshot, featuring incorrect toolbar elements and a false 4.9 out of 5 star rating. This indicates a failure in Apple's review process to validate basic metadata and screenshots submitted by developers.

The developer's website compounds the deception with fake App Store reviews that are easily disproven. The reviews are all in English but do not appear in the US, Australian, or Canadian App Stores, and the reviewer names follow an unnatural first name and last initial format. Most conclusively, the dates on these purported reviews, such as Mar 12, predate the app's actual release on June 2, 2026.

The entity behind the extension shows a pattern of questionable marketing. The developer, Serhii Mariiekha, is linked to Marsoft Research Lab SL and Marsolab FZ-LLC, a company that builds AI agents. This company also claims to be mentioned in magazines like Men’s Health and Vogue, but its social media links point to the front pages of the respective platforms rather than actual accounts.

The presence of this app in the top paid charts highlights the vulnerability of centralized app marketplaces to generative AI slop. Apple has the internal data to verify ratings and reviews, yet approved an app with a fake star rating in its primary screenshot. This forces users and engineers to treat App Store rankings and listed social proof with skepticism, as the platform's review process did not catch fraud that was obvious from the listing alone.