If you recently got a deal on a pair of Apple AirPods through Facebook Marketplace that seemed too good to be true, you might want to make sure they’re not fake.
Burnaby RCMP has put out a word of caution to the public after discovering listings for fake AirPods on Facebook.
One person was arrested in connection with the sale of the fake Apple AirPods. While the incident took place in BC, this could likely be occurring in other parts of Canada.
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On January 14, RCMP received a fraud complaint after a buyer discovered they had been sold fake AirPods an entire month after purchase.
The buyer had met the seller in a Burnaby parking lot and bought the earbuds for $180, transferring the money online. They had even been given a receipt for the product.
Only after visiting an Apple Store did the buyer realize the buds were not authentic, and neither was the receipt.
Burnaby RCMP executed a search warrant on January 27 and ended up seizing more than 40 boxes of what are suspected to be counterfeit AirPods from a Burnaby home.
The fake variant of the popular Apple product is nearly indistinguishable from the real thing, but the RCMP is breaking down the differences to make the fake variants easier to identify.
“These counterfeit AirPods were very convincing at first glance, with packaging and headphones that look authentic. In addition, the seller also provided receipts that appeared to be legitimate to the victims,” said Burnaby RCMP Corporal Mike Kalanj in a statement.
“We urge everyone to use caution when making purchases through online marketplaces. In this case, the AirPods were selling for well under the market value.”
A different buyer reported a similar situation on January 17, five days after purchasing the fake AirPods. In this case, the buyer paid $190 before learning they had purchased a fake set. They were also given a fake receipt.
The key indicators of the fake packaging include boxes being slightly poorer in quality. The boxes also don’t have the same shine as the actual Apple boxes. The image on the back of the counterfeit boxes appears to be a sticker and not a printed image like the real thing. The serial numbers on the back were also not accepted by the Apple website.
A fraud investigation is ongoing.
RCMP
If you find a deal online that looks too good to be true, it might be because it is.
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