iPhone is one of the most popular smartphones in the aftermarket. Sales are especially active on the eve of the release of a new generation of apple devices - everyone is actively trying to get away with devices that are losing or have already lost their relevance in order to get a new product as soon as possible. This time is a great way to buy a good smartphone for those who do not pursue the most recent versions, objectively evaluating things.
Here you should be extremely careful not to run into an unscrupulous fraudster. Consider below the most popular ways to cheat when selling an iPhone, knowing about which, you can buy an iPhone from your hands, reducing the risk of being deceived.
10. Prepayment
This type of scam is popular not only in the sale of iPhones, but also other mobile devices.
Of course, there is also a classic "divorce" with prepayment and further breakage of all contacts, but it has become much more difficult to buy modern youth for this. Fraudsters now take more sophisticated ways, offering you courier delivery right to your home with payment for the goods only after receipt and inspection. But then they start talking about attempts at fraud, robberies of couriers, etc., offering to make a payment with a protection code to a personal account, and give the protection code itself to the courier after receiving a mobile device.
In fact, you simply send funds to someone else's card or mobile number, which will be issued under the guise of a contract number, and you will no longer see any courier.
9. Refurbished iPhone disguised as a new one
For many iPhone buyers, it is a mystery what the ref letters stand for on the box. Ref or refurbished is a device restored at the factory, in which some manufacturing defects were found, which was broken, drowned or otherwise lost its functionality. Overseas, such devices are indeed completely repaired, tested, cleaned and sold again at a slightly reduced price.
In our country, under the guise of "ref", they can sell iPhones with low-grade Chinese spare parts, a low-quality replacement screen, etc. After such handicraft repairs, they will last a maximum of several months, after which the new owner will face a number of problems. So do not fall for persuasion, especially from private owners who talk about a completely new iPhone at such a nice price.
8. Chinese iPhone
The times when the Chinese counterparts of the iPhone were released with hieroglyphs in the menu and a TV antenna are long gone. Today, it can be very difficult to identify the original afyon in front of you or the Chinese one, even upon close examination.
Therefore, one should not be led by convincing stories that a person was suddenly presented with two identical phones, he has urgent money problems and even has checks from Svyaznoy or Euroset. All this is very easily faked in order to sell cheap stuff under the guise of the original device.
7. Defective iPhone
The device, which looks brand new, but is defective, is covered with films, packed in a box and sold under the guise of new at a reduced price. There are always a lot of people willing.
6. Locked under the operator iPhone
Devices locked for work with a specific US operator are sold there for about $ 200. Replacing the sticker on the box and sealing the device back into a film, it can be sold for about 20 thousand rubles.
5. Buyer robbery
Of course, everyone now thinks that no one would think to buy into such a stupid divorce. iPhones are sold at an extremely favorable price, but, of course, they can only meet in some remote area at a late hour, because they are busy at work and all that. In fact, the victim is simply lured into some remote place with a lot of money with him.
4. Blocking the sold iPhone via Apple ID
Due to the fact that in iOS 7 there was functionality for remote blocking of the device in case of loss or theft, this option has become one of the most common methods of deception when selling an iPhone.
Literally a day after the transaction, the buyer receives a blocked device with a sample message “This device was stolen, I know your location. Return the phone back or I'll take the statement to the police. " Of course, most people prefer not to contact the authorities and return the phone, after which the scheme can be repeated indefinitely.
3. iPhone layout
Under the guise of the original iPhone, they can sell dummies that are used for installation on store windows. Like boxes, films and other essential consumables, they can be easily purchased for a song in unlimited quantities.
2. Defective iPhone
Having found on Yandex.Market or Avito a solid store with good reviews, which has a discount price on the iPhone, you can place an order without going into details.
The courier will be in a hurry and bustle, talking quickly about all the conditions. After he leaves, you will discover the iPhone is inoperable, after which it will be ineffective to sort things out with the fraudulent store.
1. iPhone replacement during the sale
The sleight of hand of some crooks can be tremendous. Right at the meeting, you will be shown the original device, and then, in the process of packaging and payment, he carefully replaces it with a mock-up or a fake.
10 tips on how to buy iPnone off hand and not be fooled
- Check the completeness and originality of the accessories
- Make sure the device is not associated with AppleID
- Require hard reset and AppleID
- Inspect the device for signs of opening and repair
- Check the serial number on the box, in the device menu, imei on apple.com
- Examine the packaging for fuzzy printing and other signs of tampering.
- Never make a prepayment
- Do not go to the meeting alone and, if possible, do not take cash with you
- Install your own sim card to make sure it works.
- Try calling a friend and taking an incoming call.
We hope our material will help you keep abreast of the most common methods of fraud and deceit when selling a second-hand iPhone hand-held or through an ad on Avito and will warn you against mistakes when buying.