A person in the UK who ordered an iPhone 15 Pro Max straight from Apple got a fake one.
A person in the UK was confused when they got delivery of an iPhone 15 Pro Max that they had ordered directly from Apple’s website. This is one of the stranger delivery scams we’ve heard of recently. The person went on Reddit to talk about what happened, which is, to say the least, scary.
The buyer says they got all of Apple’s delivery confirmation emails and tracking information from DPD, Apple’s delivery partner.
The buyer knew right away something was wrong as soon as they opened the box of the so-called top iPhone. At first glance, they saw that the phone had a screen cover on it, which made them wonder if Apple had sent them a return unit. As they looked into the package more, though, they began to see how bad things really were.
“When I turn it on, the next thing I notice is that the screen isn’t right—the black area lights up in a way that isn’t OLED, and the bottom has a chin, which makes me think this isn’t right for the phone,” the person said.
When the user turned on the phone, it took a long time to set it up properly. By this time, they knew for sure that the device Apple sent them was not real.
“I knew right away that it was an Android device with a skin on it.” My grandfather may have been persuaded, but I knew right away (especially when I saw real Android toasts appear in some cases).”
TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube apps that came pre-installed on the said iPhone 15 Pro Max were more proof that it was a fake.
The person didn’t use their real Apple ID to log in, so they didn’t set up Apple Wallet on the fake unit. If they had done that, the people who made the device might have stolen their financial and personal information.
It is very unusual for someone who ordered an iPhone straight from Apple to get a fake one. There are times when these things happen when you buy something online, but Apple is known for safe shipping. There was clearly a security breach between when Apple sent the phone and when the person got it.
The customer has now sent Apple a help ticket, and the company says they’ll get back to them soon. Of course, this is a good lesson for all of us to carefully open and check new phone packages before signing for them.
