iPhone 6 and iPhone 7 Scams: How They Work
(with video below) There are new iPhone 6 and iPhone 7 scams still making rounds this month. The most prevalent is a new twist in the Bait and Switch scheme. How does it work?
Watch the video below to see in action the Bait and Switch scam, exposed:
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Bait and Switch Scam Video
Somebody advertises on Craigslist, Oodle, or Kijiji they are selling their brand new iPhone 6 for a particular reason (e.g. he received two on his birthday last week, or that his company gave one to every employee right after he purchased his, etc).
You meet him and he has two brand new sealed boxes. He says one is for another client, who should be there any minute. The price is good, say $200. As he opens one of the boxes to verify that there is a real iPhone inside, the other client – usually a girl, his accomplice – shows up as a second customer.
While you are checking the phone, she says to the seller that her dad has the cash, but he is around the corner and for some reason he can't come (he might be parked illegally and has to move the car if a parking officer comes over. Meanwhile, you finished examining the gadget, feel happy, and give the seller $200 in cash. He gives you the sealed box, puts the money in an envelope, seals it, and while he sticks it in his pocket asks the girl if they should go where the dad is. She says yes and leaves first.
As you are ready to go as well, he looks reluctantly at the girl and asks you for a favor. He hands you back the envelope with your money just to hold it til he comes back, as he's afraid of being robbed by going around the corner with a bunch of cash. Well, you have the phone and the money, so you can wait a minute.After he's been gone for 5 minutes, you panic. You open the box and instead of an iPhone you find a stone. Then you open the envelope and find paper instead of money. What he did was to create a fake iPhone box wrapped perfectly, while the envelope with paper was just a double he had in the same pocket.
iPhone Scam 2: Cruise Hit
The same scam was reported to happen particularly during cruises. As the ships stop for a few hours or days in different towns, tourists are approached by locals right when they're about to step back on the ship. Very friendly, the crooks show them a new iPhone, let them play with it, and then sell it to them for half of the regular price. Or so the tourists think. As soon as they get back on the ship and unpack the box thinking they've got a fantastic deal, they find rocks and stones. By that time it's too late to go back.
There are also a few other iPhone sale scams, coming in different forms:
iPhone Scam 3: Email With Shipping Info
Criminals send mass e-mails impersonating workers at UPS or Fedex offering you info about your "shipment and delivery". A confusing but tempting statement along with a great photo of the phone might make you click on a link they provide, just so you see what they're talking about. Opening the link will take you to a website preloaded with the Blackhole Exploit Kit, which is currently the most popular web threat according to Wikipedia. The page contains a hidden script which will give scammers control over your computer. You can now imagine the rest.
iPhone Scam 4: Buy the iPhone 7 Now!
Scammers also create fake websites advertising themselves as official retailers of Apple products. All you have to do is to pay and you'll get the iPhone 6 or 7 delivered to you "by Friday"! The page might also have an available file for download called iphone6.gif.exe, which is a virus that will compromise your computer.
iPhone Scam 5: Free Phone Campaigns
You see them everywhere: Facebook, Twitter, any other social media platforms. There are companies that organize legitimate contests but the majority are bogus. The most popular in this category comes from Facebook, where a link on your wall appearing to come from one of your friends informs you about "iPhone 6 contest page". The scammers make the link come from a bid company such as Wired magazine.
Once you click on the link you are invited to fill out a captcha, which may make you feel more confident that is not spam. Once you've done that, you are taken to a page where you are required to post personal information in order to get a shot at the free iPhone. Not only you won't get any phone, but you will also spam all your friends' walls as well.
iPhone Scams: How To Avoid
It cannot be any simpler. Buy the iPhone 6 or 7 only from the authorized Apple dealers. If you already are in the situation described in the "Bait and Switch" scam, don't leave anything out of your sight. If you opened a box, take that product and don't switch it with anything else.
iPhone Scams: How To Report
Make your family and friends aware of this scam by sharing it on social media using the buttons provided. You can also officially report the scammers to the Federal Trade Commission using the link below:
How To Protect Yourself More
If you want to be the first to find out the most notorious scams every week, feel free to subscribe to the Scam Detector newsletter here. You'll receive periodical emails and we promise not to spam. Last but not least, use the Comments section below to expose other scammers.
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On July they took $1.99 and $2.00 then 1n July 11th, 2015 they took again 88.56 in my account. And I didn’t receive any phone for TLN dealHippo. What can I do to have my money back or my phone. Des montants de 2$, 1.99$ ainsi que 88.56$ ont été prélevé sur ma carte de crédit alors que seulement 2$ devaient être facturé. Bien sur, je n’ai rien reçu. Pas de retour d’appel non plus Que faire maintenant pou récupérer mon argent ce deal était affiché sur mon I’PAD doit-on faire confiance a la compagnie APPLE" Annie hayes 2960 bergemont app 303 Québec g1j5j9.
Des montants de 2$, 1.99$ ainsi que 88.56$ ont été prélevé sur ma carte de crédit alors que seulement 2$ devaient être facturé. Bien sur, je n’ai rien reçu. Pas de retour d’appel non plus Que faire maintenant pou récupérer mon argent.Ce deal était affiché sur mon I’PAD doit-on faire confiance a la compagnie APPLE"
On July 21th, they took $1.99 and $2.00 then 1n July 24th, 2015 they took again 72.86 in my daughter account. And I didn’t receive any phone for TLN dealHippo.
What can I do to have my money back.
Des montants de 2$, 1.99$ ainsi que 88.56$ ont été prélevé sur ma carte de crédit alors que seulement 2$ devaient être facturé. Bien sur, je n’ai rien reçu. Pas de retour d’appel non plus.
y am not satisfation y want discont and my money back quipe your phone, y dont recive nothin ,and y dont want y phone at no,1-800-643-7532 3 times for sombody cale my back un french,y dont anderstan nothing tou your compagnie, you ave garanty 30 jrs mony back plaise.my no,is 450-627-2208 taxce.
Same thing happen to me! What should I do?!
On 17 of June 2015 I saw on a marketing web side with FB comments saying $2 for I phone which will receive in 7 working days it seem to be a good deal, 2 minutes later I receive received a confirmation email for $2.00. Two days later $91.19 got taken off my credit card. I did not receive anything but debt.I cancel my credit card. My CC statement is show TLN *dealHippo. 18006437532.
I informed my bank as it is an unathorised transaction.
Yes you can get scam on fb was sent a gmail free iPhone for $2 recieve in 7 working days it seem to be a good deal 2 days Later i receive a phone call to confirm my credit card details unto recieve nothing . Got my credit card statement yesterday. It show the $2 taken out plus 93 dollars unto now can not find what for and 4 Wks nothing recieve on my statement is show TLN *dealHippo. 18006437532 what do you thing am being scam .