People looking to buy Apple products often spend hours online looking for discounts.
After all, who wouldn't want an iPhone or a Macbook at half the price? Or an Apple Watch that's available for as little as what a cheap Chinese smartwatch costs? The internet is replete with shopping websites that offer Apple products at dirt cheap prices. Some offline stores offer pretty much the same. And to persuade customers, these products often come with original invoices that can be verified on the Apple website.
Before you get excited and buy that cheap iPhone or Macbook, here's a piece of news that you may want to read.
All these products are fake, period. But what about the original invoices? Well, they are no more than showpieces.
Bengaluru police recently busted a gang from Uttar Pradesh that had been running the fake Apple product scam. Gulzar, 45, a native of Ghaziabad, was arrested near the Marathahalli bridge, southeastern Bengaluru, on December 9. Police acted on a tip-off that two people were selling an iPhone at a very low price.
Policemen saw two men carrying a bag and approaching passersby. The cops detained both of them but one person managed to wriggle out of their clutches and flee. The other person, Gulzar, was taken to the police station and arrested for cheating. His bag contained two iPhone lookalikes and a fake Macbook.
The scammers showed the original invoice while showing the product. The customer can verify the invoice. But once the deal is done and the customer makes the payment, the gang puts glass pieces or stones in the package by sleight of hand.
Gulzar and his accomplice would travel to Bengaluru by train, do their tricks and quickly go back to their hometown. Gulzar told the police that he cheated a few people using the same modus operandi but the crimes have remained unreported.
Police are trying to nab Gulzar's accomplice.
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