it indeed is scamming. it's also taking advantage of the fact that you can circumvent laws by being an app that does a regulated thing and get away with it for several years because the average politician is 80 and needs interns to help them send an email. straight up ignoring laws by using an app as a cover also allows you to get VC funding by posing as a tech company. tech companies have a history of growing stupid fast and have a theoretical potential userbase of all 8 billion people thanks to the internet so by being an app you can pretend your unlicensed taxi company or unlicensed hotel company is the next google or amazon.