Nearly 1 in 5 Android in-app purchases are fraudulent

Swrve’s latest research comes on the heels of GoogleI/O, indicating that about 19% of in-app purchases on Android devices are actually fraudulent. The troubling data could account for some of Android’s lower-than-Apple revenue share of the app marketplace.

The 19% figure is based on all in-app purchase (IAP) data on Android platforms in the month of May. The analysis was limited solely to apps that include in-app purchases as an option, with IAPs being strictly defined as those fulfilled via the Google Play store.