San Francisco

HUNDREDS of fake retail and product apps have popped up in Apple's App Store in recent weeks - just in time to deceive holiday shoppers.

Counterfeiters have masqueraded as retail chains like Dollar Tree and Foot Locker, big department stores like Dillard's and Nordstrom, online product bazaars like Zappos.com and Polyvore, and luxury-goods makers like Jimmy Choo, Christian Dior and Salvatore Ferragamo.