14 DAY TRIAL // Perhaps this has happened before and it will probably happen again, but it looks like Apple was forced to send a communication to all Canadian carriers that offer iPhone smartphones to make them aware of the fact that some of these returned iPhones are fakes.
The guys over at MobileSyrup got their hands on a TELUS internal document which warns its employees on this issue and recommends extreme caution when reps receive an iPhone is being returned by a customer.
However, TELUS is not the only one that received this memo from Apple, as the carrier sent an update note to MobileSyrup stating that they have yet to detect a fake iPhone.
“We actually received a communication from Apple about this issue and shared it with our team so that they are aware of the issue but we have not detected any fake iPhone,” said a TELUS spokesperson.
According to Apple’s memo, there have been reports of fake iPhones being returned as buyer’s remorse at various locations. That means that even if TELUS hasn’t been hit by this issue yet, others may have been scammed by fishy customers who wanted to make an easy buck out of it.
Furthermore, the memo in question makes it easier for carrier reps to identify these fake iPhones from the original ones.
Some of these differences are highlighted in this document, such as the fact that the back cover of the fake iPhones can be easily removed, as well as the presence of a SIM and/or card slot, and of a removable battery. Another minor difference is the mute switch on the fake iPhones, which is not easily clickable, unlike the original.
These seems to be part of a larger scheme, as Apple has been hit by a similar issue during the holidays when Future Shop, Best Buy, Walmart and London Drugs retailers have been scammed by customers who returned iPad 2 boxes full of clay.