An elaborate iPhone scam might be underway – a UK resident bought an iPhone 15 Pro Max directly from Apple's official website but instead received an iPhone clone that looks eerily like the original, complete with an iOS-like skin.
What Happened: A UK resident was shocked when they received an iPhone clone after ordering the latest Apple Inc. AAPL flagship. The fake iPhone looked similar to the iPhone 15 Pro Max in terms of hardware design, and even the software looked eerily like iOS.
The iPhone buyer placed their order directly on Apple's website and continued to receive the order tracking details right through the actual delivery, suggesting that nothing was out of the ordinary.
But as soon as the buyer received the package, there were signs of foul play. For starters, the iPhone had a screen protector pre-installed, and it wasn't even the right one – it had the boat-shaped notch cutout, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max has the Dynamic Island.
The second sign of the iPhone being fake was the display – as soon as the phone was powered on, the black area was lit up "in a way that is clearly not OLED," the user said.
The phone also had a chin at the bottom that the real iPhone 15 Pro Max does not. Apple is extremely specific about having uniform bezels, a feat that most of its rivals cannot reproduce several years later.
The dead giveaway, though, was the iOS-like skin.
"Once I turned it on, I was greeted with a very poor setup process and I immediately clocked that it was an Android device in a skin. It may have convinced my Grandad but I could tell very quickly," the user said, adding that the toast notifications confirmed their suspicions.
Why It Matters: Fake iPhones can not only cause buyers to lose over a thousand dollars but can also be used to harvest critical information like Apple IDs and passwords, which can cause even more damage.
In this case, the user received a fake iPhone that matches the exact specifications and color of their order, which can fool most people into believing that they received an original iPhone.
More than just money, this could be done to steal user data. It's unclear if this was just a one-off incident or if it is widespread since people can be fooled if they don't inspect the phone closely.
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