Police are warning residents of fraud offences occurring throughout North Brisbane involving fake iPhones being offered for sale via online platforms.
At around 5pm on Thursday, December 14, one man met an alleged offender who was selling a purportedly new iPhone in a sealed box via an online sales platform at an address in Wavell Heights.
The offender allegedly provided a fake receipt for the phone after the man paid $1,100.
Upon unsealing the box, the phone appeared genuine, but after closer inspection, it was identified as a fake.
Similar offences have been reported across North and South Brisbane in recent weeks.
The phones are reported to look similar to iPhones but have no access to iCloud and instead use an Android operating system.
Police are urging members of the public to be vigilant, especially when buying through online sales platforms.
If you are buying online, here are some red flags to consider:
- If the seller will not provide you with an address, instead suggesting a public meet-up or offer to come to you.
- If the seller rushes you for cash.
- If you receive a receipt with no date of purchase, this may be a fake receipt.
- If the seller is quick to discount the price and/or claims it is an unwanted gift.
- If the seller does not allow you to test the product in their presence.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) recommends looking out for the following when purchasing goods on online platforms such as Facebook Marketplace:
• Watch out for websites or sellers advertising at very low prices, often lower than comparable or identical items on other websites.
• Be careful if the website or seller is very new. If possible, try and ascertain how many sales the seller has, and the period of time they’ve been selling. If the store is on social media, read the comments and search for independent reviews on the internet — noting that sometimes there may be fake positive reviews.
• Many people report losing money after communicating with the scammer over email to discuss a purchase on a digital marketplace. Always conduct your transaction through a secure platform.
• Always look for secure payment options such as PayPal or Apple/Google Pay rather than providing your credit card details to the seller. Scammers often ask you to pay by non-secure payment methods such as wire, bank or international funds transfers, money orders, pre-loaded gift cards, and cryptocurrency. It’s rare to recover money sent this way.
• If you believe your social media account has been compromised, change your password right away, use the ‘forgot my password’ option if you can’t log in, check for recent activity, notify your contacts and make sure your security software is up to date.
• Report scams to the ACCC via the Scamwatch.
FAQs
Essentially, people would take near-worthless fake lookalike iPhone models into the Apple Store, claiming they are faulty and asking for a replacement device. Apple would exchange the unit for a valuable replacement phone, which can then be sold. This procedure was allegedly carried out 16,000 times.
How can you tell if someone is selling you a fake iPhone? ›
Check IMEI number
An original Apple iPhone model will always have an IMEI number. If there is no IMEI number, it is likely that the model is fake. To check the IMEI number of your device, go to Settings on your smartphone, tap on General and then go to About section. Here, scroll down to see the IMEI number.
What are the signs of fake iPhone? ›
How to Check if Your iPhone is Original or Fake
- Assess the Unopened iPhone Box. ...
- Check the IMEI number. ...
- Cross-check the IMEI Number on Settings App and the Box. ...
- Verify Purchase Validity on the Apple Support Website. ...
- Verify Via App Store. ...
- Verify iOS. ...
- Activate Siri. ...
- Verify If Internal Components are Genuine.
What does a fake Apple security alert look like? ›
If you receive a pop-up notification on your Mac saying it's been compromised or hacked, then it's a fake Apple security alert. First, don't call any numbers or click on any links associated with the fake pop-ups.
What is the new iPhone warning? ›
In a new round, Apple is now warning users in 98 countries of potential mercenary spyware attacks. The message sent to the affected users says: “Apple detected that you are being targeted by a mercenary spyware attack that is trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID.”
What is the fake message your iPhone has been hacked? ›
Power off the phone, wait a minute, power up the phone again. Remember that just because you see a message.......it does not mean that it is true. Scams are everywhere. Ignore and delete any messages that claim that "viruses have been detected" or "your phone has been hacked".
What is the fake iPhone return scam? ›
The scam first started in December 2015 and ran for close to 10 years. In total, the scamsters fraudulently returned and attempted to return more than 16,000 counterfeit Apple devices, causing Apple at least $12.3 million in losses.
Are there fake virus warnings on iPhone? ›
If you're seeing pop-up messages warning you of security alerts or virus attacks against your Apple device, you're most likely worried. But while these messages may look real, they're almost certainly scams.
Can a scammer access my iPhone? ›
While iPhones can generally go without additional antivirus software, we always recommend top-of-the-line antivirus software for Android devices. Still, hackers can potentially gain access to your iPhone through vulnerabilities in apps or the iOS operating system, as well as by tricking you into downloading malware.
Do fake iPhones run iOS? ›
The fake iPhones run on Android. Despite the fact that iOS and Android are two different Operating systems with different application frameworks made for their respective brands, it is possible to convert the Android phone into iOS at least for some time until the phone is sold.
If it is a fake iPhone with a "correct" serial number then it will not run iOS and it will not have a functional Touch ID.
How can you tell a fake iPhone screen? ›
Non-genuine screens will not be as prompt or accurate as genuine iPhone screens. Some of the signs of a non-genuine screen are: Missed screen touches or touches not registering in the intended area. Certain parts of the display not responding to multi-touch.
How to check if an Apple product is genuine? ›
Make sure that Serial Number in the device under Settings > General >About matches the Serial Number on the box. If it correctly reports your model of iPhone you are presented with, like model, color and capacity, and the expected expiration of warranty, it's genuine.
Is the critical threat warning on iPhone real? ›
It's important to note that these messages are fake – no hacking into your device was made, nor your data is at risk. Note: If you want to verify whether an Apple threat notification is real, sign in to your Apple ID account and check if Apple has sent a notification.
Is Apple Care warning a scam? ›
A new scam tries to convince you that your Apple ID has been compromised; when you click the link in the email from your phone, it even tells you that your Apple account has been locked due to fraudulent activity.
What is the Apple unsafe website warning? ›
Safari warns you when a website that you're visiting isn't secure. In any of these cases, you may see a “Not Secure” or “Website Not Secure” message in Safari: The website is encrypted, but its certificate is expired or illegitimate.