A racket of counterfeit Apple products was doing the rounds in western Ireland, but thankfully, the local authorities were able to act in time, and busted the peddling of these goods from four locations. In total, around 800 fake products, which also included AirPods, were confiscated, with their total value exceeding $170,000.
Fake AirPods make their way into markets much more easily as it is more difficult for the buyer to confirm their authenticity
The counterfeit Apple products ring was put to a stop in County Mayo, with Newstalk and AppleInsider reporting that AirPods and various accessories were included in the list. The items were seized on Thursday and Friday, between October 17 and October 18, with the Irish police raiding locations across Castlebar, Westport, Ballinrobe, and Claremorris. A major reason why fake iPhone accessories and AirPods have become popular products amongst counterfeit dealers is because they are easy to manufacture.
The minimalistic packaging can also be replicated to near-perfection to prevent any suspicion, with a previous report stating that there are dedicated factories in China focused on mass producing AirPods in the thousands, with police putting a stop to an operation that made nearly $24 million worth of Apple’s wireless earbuds. With iPhones or MacBooks, customers who are used to daily driving these products or have an eagle eye when it comes to attention to detail will immediately notice that something is off, either in the design or when they power on these devices for the first time.
To avoid falling victim to such scams, potential buyers should always request for the serial number of the AirPods or any other accessory and then crosscheck it on Apple’s website to be informed in advance. The latest report does mention that no arrests have been made, but the Garda investigation is currently ongong, meaning that we should have an update in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.
News Source: Newstalk
