They did. This was literally their defense in Epic lawsuit.
Summarized Apple lawyers said: "We can't offer alternative stores because they would be full of scams which would be bad for users. Our store is curated and safe for users.".
Summarized Apple lawyers said: "We can't offer alternative stores because they would be full of scams which would be bad for users. Our store is curated and safe for users.".
These are the very first words describing the App Store (https://www.apple.com/app-store/):
"The apps you love. From a place you can trust.
For over a decade, the App Store has proved to be a safe and trusted place to discover and download apps....And a big part of those experiences is ensuring that the apps we offer are held to the highest standards for privacy, security, and content."
The page then says this about security:
"Security for every app. At every level.
We ensure that apps come from known sources, are free of known malware, and haven’t been tampered with at the time of installation or launch."
And this about trust:
"Apps must adhere to our guidelines.
When you download an app, it should work as promised. Which is why human App Reviewers ensure that the apps on the App Store adhere to our strict app review standards. Our App Store Review Guidelines require apps to be safe, provide a good user experience, comply with our privacy rules, secure devices from malware and threats, and use approved business models."*
Approval doesn’t mean what you think it means.
Just because they don’t detect a scam doesn’t mean they approve of what it does - it is still in breach of contract with Apple.
If they had said anything like that you’d be be able to quote them.