One time I went on Facebook marketplace and searched up “iMac”. Probably about 50 spam listings showed up listing nice iMacs like the m1 iMac for $100. The link in the description would take you to a website to try and steal credit card information. The person had multiple facebook profiles doing the exact same thing and I reported them all.
@@RoxxyPane Maybe if you dont' have to charge it every week. I only want to bring one type of charging cable with me, it just makes life easier. For $550 blooming dollaridoos I expect it to have the latest and greatest charging port not shitty old lightning.
Scammers will usually buy product so they can take photos of the boxes with serials, then return them for a refund. They’ll then use those photos to sell their fake versions online. They will use the photos of the genuine items as a precautionary measure in case people ask about it
I worked as a senior advisor for Apple care for 5 years and cloning serial numbers was the biggest scam we dealt with when it came to this sort of thing.
This is why I don’t buy from private sellers anymore unless the whole thing goes through some sort of online market or shop, be it amazon or eBay or or… that can give me a good customer protection. I just don’t buy from people directly, except if it’s furniture or something like that. But electronics it’s a no no for me
I learned my lesson buying a scam. If the product is in a sealed box, then a seller won't let you open it without handing over the money, so can't check it out, especially to run it. Locally here, the Apple store staff are selling empty boxes from products to the scammers, who then put stolen goods in a real apple box, and then seal it so you can't check.
@@AC-lt5ro thanks for noticing. It was the police (Vancouver, CA) who told me about Apple store employees selling bundles of perfect empty Apple boxes, in the situation where Apple store customers didn't want to take home the box. I'm guessing at prices, but I can imagine a perfect Apple box being worth maybe $40 to a scammer, so 25 boxes would be $1000 to the crooked employee. I asked the police why didn't they act, since every box has a serial #. They said that neither the police nor Apple care, so no point. The police said they discovered criminals having little factories for stuffing the boxes with stolen stuff. And I learned the lesson that everyone in this post should know - why would anybody sell a brand new Apple product sealed in a box? There are vanishingly few legit reasons. I'll never buy other than directly from Apple, and also not Apple refurbished, for similar reasons. I learned my lesson on the refurb route also.
I definitely got scammed by 2 different sellers (for AirPods Max and Pros) during Christmas time. I tried to do as much research and ask as many valid questions as possible, but they still got me. It’s SO frustrating. 😤
Same, but you learn what to look for after. The fake pros I got had a real serial number, put a flashlight through the case and you can see they’re missing components. Put your nail between the case ridge and it’ll split it apart, apples is glued shut.
New and unopened is a dead giveaway. I would only buy something used. Also, if the price is too low, it’s a scam. People want the most for their item so if it’s new or like new yet it’s priced 50% of retail, it’s likely a scam.
Dude! My hubby was about to purchase “new in a box” AirPods from a seller who created his account last year! I pulled the breaks on this fast. Then I see your video and half of the things you mentioned this scammer did! Crazy! Always go with your gut. It will never steer you wrong.
I drove an hour to buy a new iphone 11 pro max from a guy on FB marketplace three years ago. I immediately knew it was a fake after holding it and told the guy I don't want it because it didn't seem real. He didn't even try to argue with me and said "ok, let me know if you change your mind" and left. I decided to buy one from the apple store instead which was a good decision.
Little tip, there’s no reason to sell a sealed apple product, Apple will accept a refund even after a month after purchase, as long as it’s sealed and preferably you have the receipt they will have no issues, so if someone’s selling a sealed product let them know, if they don’t want to do so it’s most likely a scam
They might have a genuine product to sell that was obtained fraudulently, for example using stolen credit cards. You could get a cheap Apple product this way albeit it’s morally questionable.
First flaw is with the coverage… the warranty starts when you connect your phone with he AirPods max. And the warranty with this serial number was expired. How can the warranty be expired when the AirPods are still sealed? It has nothing to do with the purchase date. First BIG red flag.
not exactly. warranty start after the customer paid for the product. Apple or any other retail store are required to enter the serial number on the POS so they can keep track the limited warrant for Apple items. it does not matter you are buying for someone else or yourself and the person who own the headphone didn't open it. the warranty clock is still counting down.
The best way to tell is to throw a Nigerian insult bc 99% of these scammers are Nigerian so say something like omo ale or u dey mad if u ever get suspicious if they are really real sellers or not
They are all over eBay. I asked for a picture of the actual product and was told in sealed box on a listing that for a product that was listed as open box. Really made me suspicious. Very glad I saw your video.
The crazy thing is that they're all relatively young, in high school. Two of them couldn't even drive as they probably haven't gotten their drivers license.
Total head ache. Why even bother? With China, there will always be fakes around. So just to be safe, just purchase the head phone from legit stores or if you can't afford, buy the less expensive one.
First red flag, selling an unopened pair of something expensive for much cheaper than it’s worth. Second red flag, selling anything unopened. It’s either stolen, or it’s fake.
Yeah apple care thing so wild. I had a guy with AirPod pros have a real SN and still apparently had applecare and even had the SN on the product but when I tested them the transparency mode was hella off and the transition into noise cancellation click was weird. The beep too was weird opening. It was for AirPods Pro’s gen 2s
Problem is they can steal the # as well on the electronic firmware and place it on the electronic hardware. I checked the AirPod max electronically and it was registered as real but the quality was horrible. I bought some from eBay and fortunately eBay guaranteed that what I bought was what was advertised so when I got the Apple AirPod maxes and I noticed that they did not have the hole for the adjustment of the headband. I called the guy on it and sent him photos and said I’m gonna report you to eBay even though he didn’t accept returns all of a sudden within four minutes he accepted returns and I returned the AirPod maxes fake and got my money back.
& here's how we can combat fakes. Wait until Apple or an Apple Certified Retailer has a sale👌🏾 or save up until u can buy a legit one. It's not worth the risk of being burned $300
Not really. It’s a fake pair of headphones. The potential threat of international nuclear war is scary. Reevaluate your definition of scary and live your best life.🎉
My cousin almost got scammed by fake AirPod pros we looked at it and realized it had fake vents so we knew it was fake and told the guy we weren’t gonna buy them fakes are getting really good now
I have sold a few things online and I do got some crazy stories but unfortunately with FB hacks being kinda easy nowadays, you cannot longer use the profile as a reliable way to get info. Always ask to meet in a place where scammers fear. In front of a police station. There nothing safer than that.
Some things to look out for when buying a pair: on the fakes, on the back of the box it will say 2023 which is supposed to be 2020, the text on the stickers on the bottom of box(where it says the serial number) it’s supposed to be (S) Serial, on the fakes it says (S)Serial. As for the headphones themselves, the fakes are missing the pinholes to detach the headband from the earcups, you can find these in the earcup when you remove the padding. I’ve done extensive research before I bought a pair myself and managed to get a real pair for a good price while looking out for these things.
I also did extensive research and came to the same conclusion about the pinholes. I met up with someone that had the pinholes and believe it or not, they were fake. I was quite surprised as all others didn’t have the pinholes, but luckily other factors (headband was bendable, button was plastic and clicky, crown wasn’t smooth when turning) caught my eye and I didn’t buy them
Seller profiles does not work. There are a bunch of profiles created in like 2007-2010 that are actually scammers. It also seems legit with other listings, friends, location, school, etc. I suspect that these are mostly hacked accounts or bought accounts that the scammer use to look legit... This is why I only sell on FB and refuse to buy anything on the secondary market.
I almost got scammed into buying some this weekend but I did my research as I was waiting for people. It all checked out and I almost fell for it until 2 scammers sent me the same serial number and they were both in different cities. 😥 I just went to buy them retail at that point. Ugh I’m so relieved though ! It seemed so legit can’t believe I was smart enough to dodge that bullet
My first experience with airpods was buying fakes on fbm. I was so dissatisfied with the product. Connecting to my hoine while in the case, weird volume issues. . I didn’t really realize that I got duped until I decided to buy Airpods Pros 2 from an actual store. Love the damn things.
One of the easiest ways to tell is looking at the plastic film on the outside, and how it comes together. Apple ones will be a very neat straight line where they seal, down the centre of one side (think it’s usually the bottom but could be wrong on this). Fakes will usually have a much messier join, that isn’t centred and isn’t always flush with the rest of the film!
@@7531monkey you would think so, but surprisingly hard to do! The machinery that Apple uses to seal there’s is prohibitively expensive for most copying, who are using a standard heat sealer or heat gun
Simple way of fixing this issue. Buy a well known respected hifi brand. 9/10 they will sound better than Air pods. Fact. Apple fan boys won't buy maybe time to get educated.
@@kdwithgoodhair5451 after a week of back and forth. It was us talking with reps, waiting for the seller to respond, then back to reps. Long story short we got a refund on temporary hold till the seller received the replica again
This is why it’s always best to just buy directly from Apple or a reputable retailer. These scams are only going to get more complex and convincing and it will always be worth having the peace of mind over trying to save a few extra bucks.
OMG. it's basically the same modus operandi here at my country Malaysia. I was looking to but Airpod pro 2 in the fb marketplace, meet up with the seller, he came with his family members haha. he said that it was his son's. thank God it was already opened, looked brand new, tested the sound quality and spatial audio, it was basically a fake. that day, I also met 3 other seller all basically scammer with the similar modus operandi, it's from a birthday gift, their brother/sister's airpod etc up until the 4th seller, got the original one.
Many scammers that tries to sell fake AirPods Pro gen 2 in my area have the box in plastic wrap and the pull tabs when the real once only have pull tabs and no plastic wrap.
The AirPods pros (not max) are almost impossible to tell if they’re fake just by looking at them and handling them. We took one that didn’t sound right to an Apple service provider and they told us there were hundreds of repair requests for that particular serial number. I’m not sure if you could get an Apple Store to tell you the same thing, but that would be a way of determining if it’s fake. The serial number in your video undoubtedly has service requests made on it even though it’s unopened.
Another huge tell from the pictures he sent you is how crooked the plastic wrapping is. A lot of people don't realize this but although Apple doesn't do plastic wrap anymore, devices that still do have a straight and perfect wrap. Original Apple devices have extremely meticulous plastic wrap, with clean flat even edges and the lines where the plastic meets and closes is straight and even. It's so easy to tell on fakes because their plastic wrapping is horrible and has crumples everywhere.
The best way to know if something is original is by checking if the firmware version of the product match with the last version on Apple’s website (after connect to the phone, of course). Replicas can’t update. Another tip is, (in Brazil) Apple’s products only active the limited warranty after the first connetion. So if you have a never opened box, it can’t have started the warranty time
Well, the recipe for disaster on, this would be not checking the AirPods, because all the other stuff can be circumvented. Always check your AirPods. For example, you could give the serial number of to the Chinese makers of these. And the serial that you purchased yourself. Get 100 units made and then you have your email and your physical receipt with that original purchase.
I had the same thing happen to me from Amazon Refurbished Airpods Max. AMAZON didn't realize that someone had swapped the cans and returned a fake to them. Nonetheless, amazon took them back but weren't really concerned about this scam, and didn't ask much questions.
The scam is they aren't worth the price tag. I got the galaxy Z fold 3 for $600 which was still going for $1700 down-payment. I'll pay me before I pay anyone. Also if it's designer clothing I want I go to official luxury clothing retailers and wait for a huge sale
This is the first video I've seen from this young Joshua, but I have the same precautions about buying things on the marketplace. Many people want to play smart. And the steps he gives are, in my opinion and experience, very good.
For shrink wrapped Apple Airpod Max boxes, the heat shrink line should be straight and dead center along the box width. I have seen several photos of Apple sealed boxes where the shrink wrap parting line is crooked and off center. If the box is open and you have the ability to bluetooth link the headphones to your phone, removing the headphones should stop music play. If it does not, insert the headphones into the protected earbud pouch and that should pause the audio.
I always go to coffee shops, and if the box is "factory" sealed , i tell the person i have to open the seal, if they are fake, i can feel it and most of them leave.
If you’re going to buy an iPhone you’re going to want to compare the screens. Often generic screens are installed that don’t have the same vibrant colour of brightness. I’ve been scammed once.
Price should be the first red flag. You see something that's unopened/sealed, and is priced significantly lower than what the actual real product is selling for, it's probably a scam !!
The actual replicas are very convincing. They even appear in your iPhone as AirPod max. A good tip is to look for the hole in the earcup that allows the head band to be removed, the quality of the materials, various misspellings, packing material and all the above mentioned in the video. The seam on the sealed box is a giveaway too
My advise if you buy new sealed phone/headphone: never buy items with warranty already running. If these headphones are indeed new, the Apple website won't show info abaout warranty or purchase date until activation. Scammers often sale fake items with stolen original serial numbers (that will be most probbaly already activated).
1. Meet the person at the company stores, like Apple. Have Apple look up the serial and know they're not stolen or have issues. I do this if I sell or buy products. 2. Apple doesn't shrinkwrap products either. The photo gave it away.
Great tips!! For me, I’m lucky enough to live on O’ahu which we have a couple of Apple Stores within driving distance. What I usually tell them is if they can meet me at the Apple Store. So far, each time I tell them that they don’t respond.
So just to be clear… you found out where he messed up and then told him how you figured it out so he could do a better job scanning the next person??? 3:56
Once you just get a bit of knowledge they were fake as soon he showed the Serial sticker, wrong font and all messed up spacing, but indeed it's so hard to know these things if you didnt fall in the rabbit hole
Great video sir however i'm still perplexed as to who's buying expensive merchandise on the street like this still in shrink wrap without seeing or touching the actual product inside? How does removing the shrink wrap actually diminish resale value for the seller? Sounds like a scam based on that alone to me.
So I recently got 2 pairs of AirPods Pro 2 (2022) from Amazon DE, one pair from Vietnam is genuine, the 2nd pair from China was fake. Funny part is everything was perfect and even the fakes were better (I am an audiophile, I own headphones costing a lot more), but they did not show up on iCloud and so I tried to disconnect them and reconnect them, but they would not. I send them to Amazon for repair, I told them that they would not reconnect, Amazon send me a complete brand new ones, but they also ended up being fake. So I returned them and ordered some through my carrier.
I’ve came to the same conclusion as this video over the summer. Dealt this multiple times tryna buy some but obviously I don’t have the time or energy to make a video. I just assume all are fake and you can easily spot with their other listing. 80% on fb marketplace are fake
Curious to hear your scammer stories 🤔
I dont have any :-)
One time I went on Facebook marketplace and searched up “iMac”. Probably about 50 spam listings showed up listing nice iMacs like the m1 iMac for $100. The link in the description would take you to a website to try and steal credit card information. The person had multiple facebook profiles doing the exact same thing and I reported them all.
Also missed the 2023 date on the box is another sign!!! no apple air max were made in 2023. the year on the box should be 2020!!!
Have many, lmk if you wanna share it on your channel.
If the Seller is "Thirsty" to sell something that a few hundred $ off,
Its definitely a SCAM.
You’re not only educating the general public but you’re also educating the scammers. You’re teaching them how to get better and that’s the irony.
nah... when the scammers get smart they'll aim for bigger targets, these are very low tier bottom feeders
Still making the bottom feeders smarter
the catch 22
Exactly
Ain’t now way they can get the actual email from Apple with the serial. That is fool proof
I thought he was talking about how these headphones are generally a scam lol. $550 dollars for for a 4 year old device still using lightning.
Same 😂
Same till I started listening to the video only to realize he is giving the scammers key tips to avoid
bro lightening is jus a charge port ya act like the device changed ???? coulda been micro usb still the same mf product bro usb c is not a feature
@@RoxxyPane Maybe if you dont' have to charge it every week. I only want to bring one type of charging cable with me, it just makes life easier. For $550 blooming dollaridoos I expect it to have the latest and greatest charging port not shitty old lightning.
@@RoxxyPaneit’s a SLOW, OUTDATED, and PROPRIETARY charge port.
Scammers will usually buy product so they can take photos of the boxes with serials, then return them for a refund. They’ll then use those photos to sell their fake versions online. They will use the photos of the genuine items as a precautionary measure in case people ask about it
I don't think so buddy. They buy already fake ones with real serial numbers on them.
Holy shit that’s genius. I know what I’m trying tomorrow
@@IceBlueLugia🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡
nice theory, but how they will get fake ones with exectly the same serial numbers they had on the photos of original ones?)
@@Prlz3 once you have a real serial number you could literally create a fake label and receipt for the fakes?
Bro is giving the scammer tips💀
Yep scammers taking notes right now.
fr
I worked as a senior advisor for Apple care for 5 years and cloning serial numbers was the biggest scam we dealt with when it came to this sort of thing.
How do they do it?
This is why I don’t buy from private sellers anymore unless the whole thing goes through some sort of online market or shop, be it amazon or eBay or or… that can give me a good customer protection. I just don’t buy from people directly, except if it’s furniture or something like that. But electronics it’s a no no for me
Yup, tech is really easy to replicate/modify, so if there is a deal that seems to good to be true, it usually is 😅
I learned my lesson buying a scam. If the product is in a sealed box, then a seller won't let you open it without handing over the money, so can't check it out, especially to run it. Locally here, the Apple store staff are selling empty boxes from products to the scammers, who then put stolen goods in a real apple box, and then seal it so you can't check.
Wow 😯 didn’t know about the empty boxes
@@AC-lt5ro thanks for noticing. It was the police (Vancouver, CA) who told me about Apple store employees selling bundles of perfect empty Apple boxes, in the situation where Apple store customers didn't want to take home the box.
I'm guessing at prices, but I can imagine a perfect Apple box being worth maybe $40 to a scammer, so 25 boxes would be $1000 to the crooked employee.
I asked the police why didn't they act, since every box has a serial #. They said that neither the police nor Apple care, so no point. The police said they discovered criminals having little factories for stuffing the boxes with stolen stuff.
And I learned the lesson that everyone in this post should know - why would anybody sell a brand new Apple product sealed in a box? There are vanishingly few legit reasons. I'll never buy other than directly from Apple, and also not Apple refurbished, for similar reasons. I learned my lesson on the refurb route also.
I definitely got scammed by 2 different sellers (for AirPods Max and Pros) during Christmas time. I tried to do as much research and ask as many valid questions as possible, but they still got me. It’s SO frustrating. 😤
Same, but you learn what to look for after. The fake pros I got had a real serial number, put a flashlight through the case and you can see they’re missing components. Put your nail between the case ridge and it’ll split it apart, apples is glued shut.
But the quality is good you’re not getting scammed also apple has no warranty it just doesn’t matter
@@xroyalstevenx9151wrong I have fake pros with no gap
@@corpingtonsfound the scammer
New and unopened is a dead giveaway. I would only buy something used. Also, if the price is too low, it’s a scam. People want the most for their item so if it’s new or like new yet it’s priced 50% of retail, it’s likely a scam.
I was the scammer. I noted the inconsistency and updated them. Business is booming thanks to you. Thank you!
LMAOOAOAOAOAO
😂
Go buy it from the store if you sre not happy
Dude! My hubby was about to purchase “new in a box” AirPods from a seller who created his account last year! I pulled the breaks on this fast. Then I see your video and half of the things you mentioned this scammer did! Crazy! Always go with your gut. It will never steer you wrong.
That's the holy Spirit.
I drove an hour to buy a new iphone 11 pro max from a guy on FB marketplace three years ago. I immediately knew it was a fake after holding it and told the guy I don't want it because it didn't seem real. He didn't even try to argue with me and said "ok, let me know if you change your mind" and left. I decided to buy one from the apple store instead which was a good decision.
You made the right decision cause that obviously was a 1:1 iPhone.
A dude on FB got mad af when I called him out for selling a fake 13 pro max (you could tell from photos) 😂 whole bunch of slurs came my way
bros risking his life for us vetting scammers. mad respect!
Is he buying from weapons dealers?
Don’t be so dramatic
@@cc8530 LOLOLOLOL
It's not the serious touch grass
@@envyLP333 gfys
risking his life?
Little tip, there’s no reason to sell a sealed apple product, Apple will accept a refund even after a month after purchase, as long as it’s sealed and preferably you have the receipt they will have no issues, so if someone’s selling a sealed product let them know, if they don’t want to do so it’s most likely a scam
They might have a genuine product to sell that was obtained fraudulently, for example using stolen credit cards. You could get a cheap Apple product this way albeit it’s morally questionable.
First flaw is with the coverage… the warranty starts when you connect your phone with he AirPods max. And the warranty with this serial number was expired. How can the warranty be expired when the AirPods are still sealed? It has nothing to do with the purchase date. First BIG red flag.
Definitely not correct.
not exactly. warranty start after the customer paid for the product. Apple or any other retail store are required to enter the serial number on the POS so they can keep track the limited warrant for Apple items. it does not matter you are buying for someone else or yourself and the person who own the headphone didn't open it. the warranty clock is still counting down.
First clue it’s a scam is an unopened device for 45% off…
The best way to tell is to throw a Nigerian insult bc 99% of these scammers are Nigerian so say something like omo ale or u dey mad if u ever get suspicious if they are really real sellers or not
Don’t buy from marketplace, don’t buy if they’re young. If it’s suspicious or off you’re most likely right!
They are all over eBay. I asked for a picture of the actual product and was told in sealed box on a listing that for a product that was listed as open box. Really made me suspicious. Very glad I saw your video.
loved the video! crazy seeing how many scammers there are and how they mainly reacted the same way
The crazy thing is that they're all relatively young, in high school. Two of them couldn't even drive as they probably haven't gotten their drivers license.
I don’t understand why u spend 300 just put 200 on top and buy it clean
Better than lose your hard worked 300
Damn, you were mad intimidating in the meetups 😂👍🏼. Never seen that side of you before 😂.
Had the kids shakin in their boots!! I was lowkey nervous too 😬
@@JoshuaChang You covered that well; I couldn’t tell at all🤣👍🏼
Haha what?? He was intimidating by asking questions he should ask?
Brother you need more human interaction if that’s intimidating 🙃
@@ruku2134 It wasn’t his questioning. It was his entire demeanor, mannerisms, and poise, but I guess you’re too stupid to realize that.
Lol I was just at that big electronics market in Shenzhen China. They were wrapping up apple boxes with that shrink wrap plastic out in the open 😂.
Total head ache. Why even bother? With China, there will always be fakes around. So just to be safe, just purchase the head phone from legit stores or if you can't afford, buy the less expensive one.
First red flag, selling an unopened pair of something expensive for much cheaper than it’s worth.
Second red flag, selling anything unopened. It’s either stolen, or it’s fake.
Excuse me while I agree with you 1000%
Just don’t buy any popular expensive tech second hand
Yeah apple care thing so wild. I had a guy with AirPod pros have a real SN and still apparently had applecare and even had the SN on the product but when I tested them the transparency mode was hella off and the transition into noise cancellation click was weird. The beep too was weird opening.
It was for AirPods Pro’s gen 2s
Thanks to you the scammer will make sure not to repeat the same mistakes again.
Problem is they can steal the # as well on the electronic firmware and place it on the electronic hardware. I checked the AirPod max electronically and it was registered as real but the quality was horrible. I bought some from eBay and fortunately eBay guaranteed that what I bought was what was advertised so when I got the Apple AirPod maxes and I noticed that they did not have the hole for the adjustment of the headband. I called the guy on it and sent him photos and said I’m gonna report you to eBay even though he didn’t accept returns all of a sudden within four minutes he accepted returns and I returned the AirPod maxes fake and got my money back.
& here's how we can combat fakes. Wait until Apple or an Apple Certified Retailer has a sale👌🏾 or save up until u can buy a legit one. It's not worth the risk of being burned $300
this is honestly scary
you won’t even know you have fake ones
Not really just buy retail!
You're getting scammed either way 😂😂😂😂
Not really. It’s a fake pair of headphones. The potential threat of international nuclear war is scary. Reevaluate your definition of scary and live your best life.🎉
@@stereothrilla8374You really read far too deep into this comment. Bless you! You have such a negative mindset! Get well soon!
The lines on the plastic wrap are crooked and along the side. Apple doesn’t do stuff like that.
My cousin almost got scammed by fake AirPod pros we looked at it and realized it had fake vents so we knew it was fake and told the guy we weren’t gonna buy them fakes are getting really good now
I have sold a few things online and I do got some crazy stories but unfortunately with FB hacks being kinda easy nowadays, you cannot longer use the profile as a reliable way to get info. Always ask to meet in a place where scammers fear. In front of a police station. There nothing safer than that.
Some things to look out for when buying a pair: on the fakes, on the back of the box it will say 2023 which is supposed to be 2020, the text on the stickers on the bottom of box(where it says the serial number) it’s supposed to be (S) Serial, on the fakes it says (S)Serial. As for the headphones themselves, the fakes are missing the pinholes to detach the headband from the earcups, you can find these in the earcup when you remove the padding. I’ve done extensive research before I bought a pair myself and managed to get a real pair for a good price while looking out for these things.
These don't mean anything anymore, all of these have been fixed on a good batch
@@k1w1. I haven’t seen any pairs w the pinhole yet and I’m pretty up to date with reps.
@@floraw5311 I have a pair of fakes with the pinhole.
I also did extensive research and came to the same conclusion about the pinholes. I met up with someone that had the pinholes and believe it or not, they were fake. I was quite surprised as all others didn’t have the pinholes, but luckily other factors (headband was bendable, button was plastic and clicky, crown wasn’t smooth when turning) caught my eye and I didn’t buy them
@@Cody.Little I’ve actually seen someone drill holes in them themselves but they weren’t centered lol
Seller profiles does not work. There are a bunch of profiles created in like 2007-2010 that are actually scammers. It also seems legit with other listings, friends, location, school, etc.
I suspect that these are mostly hacked accounts or bought accounts that the scammer use to look legit...
This is why I only sell on FB and refuse to buy anything on the secondary market.
Scammers taking notes how to improve their scams
That’s the reason I just bought directly from best buy. I know they make a lot of fakes and they look very similar. So why risk it ..
I almost got scammed into buying some this weekend but I did my research as I was waiting for people. It all checked out and I almost fell for it until 2 scammers sent me the same serial number and they were both in different cities. 😥 I just went to buy them retail at that point. Ugh I’m so relieved though ! It seemed so legit can’t believe I was smart enough to dodge that bullet
daaamn congrats man, good job right there❤
My first experience with airpods was buying fakes on fbm. I was so dissatisfied with the product. Connecting to my hoine while in the case, weird volume issues. . I didn’t really realize that I got duped until I decided to buy Airpods Pros 2 from an actual store. Love the damn things.
One of the easiest ways to tell is looking at the plastic film on the outside, and how it comes together. Apple ones will be a very neat straight line where they seal, down the centre of one side (think it’s usually the bottom but could be wrong on this). Fakes will usually have a much messier join, that isn’t centred and isn’t always flush with the rest of the film!
Easily faked.
@@7531monkey you would think so, but surprisingly hard to do! The machinery that Apple uses to seal there’s is prohibitively expensive for most copying, who are using a standard heat sealer or heat gun
What back protector are you using on your iPhone?
Good detective work dude ! I actually learned something. Thanks 🙏
If a price is too good to be true its a scam. Most important lesson in this video
Watching this as a AirPod reseller😑
Simple way of fixing this issue. Buy a well known respected hifi brand. 9/10 they will sound better than Air pods. Fact. Apple fan boys won't buy maybe time to get educated.
Literally happened to me. My girlfriend bought me the silver ones off of Ebay for $430 and it passed authentication
Did eBay give you a refund ?
@@kdwithgoodhair5451 after a week of back and forth. It was us talking with reps, waiting for the seller to respond, then back to reps. Long story short we got a refund on temporary hold till the seller received the replica again
Might as well spend 70 more from apple ...
@@markgalveston604 yup but it was a gift I had no control lol
Good detective work. You should do more videos like this!
This is why it’s always best to just buy directly from Apple or a reputable retailer. These scams are only going to get more complex and convincing and it will always be worth having the peace of mind over trying to save a few extra bucks.
thanks for letting us know gonna get better with scamming next time
Rs,Brodie helpin is out
Alright I will use this video as reference to not mess up selling my fakes thanks man!
OMG. it's basically the same modus operandi here at my country Malaysia. I was looking to but Airpod pro 2 in the fb marketplace, meet up with the seller, he came with his family members haha. he said that it was his son's. thank God it was already opened, looked brand new, tested the sound quality and spatial audio, it was basically a fake. that day, I also met 3 other seller all basically scammer with the similar modus operandi, it's from a birthday gift, their brother/sister's airpod etc up until the 4th seller, got the original one.
Almost fell for it. Fake AirPods Max at Poshmark and there are so many there. Buyers Beware!
How on earth any common person knows all these minute details.
Many scammers that tries to sell fake AirPods Pro gen 2 in my area have the box in plastic wrap and the pull tabs when the real once only have pull tabs and no plastic wrap.
The AirPods pros (not max) are almost impossible to tell if they’re fake just by looking at them and handling them. We took one that didn’t sound right to an Apple service provider and they told us there were hundreds of repair requests for that particular serial number. I’m not sure if you could get an Apple Store to tell you the same thing, but that would be a way of determining if it’s fake. The serial number in your video undoubtedly has service requests made on it even though it’s unopened.
Pro tip: always meet up at a police station. Some stations have a designated trading zone to prevent theft or scams.
Another huge tell from the pictures he sent you is how crooked the plastic wrapping is. A lot of people don't realize this but although Apple doesn't do plastic wrap anymore, devices that still do have a straight and perfect wrap. Original Apple devices have extremely meticulous plastic wrap, with clean flat even edges and the lines where the plastic meets and closes is straight and even. It's so easy to tell on fakes because their plastic wrapping is horrible and has crumples everywhere.
you doxxed the sellers address a second before you showed the censored version lol
The best way to know if something is original is by checking if the firmware version of the product match with the last version on Apple’s website (after connect to the phone, of course). Replicas can’t update. Another tip is, (in Brazil) Apple’s products only active the limited warranty after the first connetion. So if you have a never opened box, it can’t have started the warranty time
So fun to see people naming “passive aggressive” things that are so normal in a regular day 😅
you shouldn't inform the scammers about their mistakes
but making a video about is great
Golden rule here, don’t buy anything of value from Marketplace, just rife with scammers.
Well, the recipe for disaster on, this would be not checking the AirPods, because all the other stuff can be circumvented. Always check your AirPods.
For example, you could give the serial number of to the Chinese makers of these. And the serial that you purchased yourself. Get 100 units made and then you have your email and your physical receipt with that original purchase.
I had the same thing happen to me from Amazon Refurbished Airpods Max. AMAZON didn't realize that someone had swapped the cans and returned a fake to them. Nonetheless, amazon took them back but weren't really concerned about this scam, and didn't ask much questions.
First step: delete facebook.
Done.
The scam is they aren't worth the price tag. I got the galaxy Z fold 3 for $600 which was still going for $1700 down-payment. I'll pay me before I pay anyone. Also if it's designer clothing I want I go to official luxury clothing retailers and wait for a huge sale
You got scammers taking notes 📝
This is the first video I've seen from this young Joshua, but I have the same precautions about buying things on the marketplace. Many people want to play smart. And the steps he gives are, in my opinion and experience, very good.
Watching this using my Airpods Max replicas
I really appreciate the excellent sound quality of your videos! Thank you and keep up the good work!
Great video and great tips... best way to avoid them though is to buy in a (Apple) store. Why risk being scammed for a few dollar off?
Because apple is trash
Why let them get away with 200% margins
No way bro caught me😭thanks for the tips tho Brodie
Facts bouta sell way more thanks to him now 😂
@@Bl_mathias112 receipt gen got me wit the emails now too
Lmao rule #1 don’t buy from marketplace lmao
I’m contacting law enforcement. You’re going down.
@@Bl_mathias112lmfaooo ong 😂
Is it the same for xbox and playstations? Can you do a video for that?
no. they might only change the parts though
Thanks for helping the scammers sharpen their tool box
imagine all the fakes that were returned to amazon in their genuine boxes.
For shrink wrapped Apple Airpod Max boxes, the heat shrink line should be straight and dead center along the box width. I have seen several photos of Apple sealed boxes where the shrink wrap parting line is crooked and off center. If the box is open and you have the ability to bluetooth link the headphones to your phone, removing the headphones should stop music play. If it does not, insert the headphones into the protected earbud pouch and that should pause the audio.
I always go to coffee shops, and if the box is "factory" sealed , i tell the person i have to open the seal, if they are fake, i can feel it and most of them leave.
If you’re going to buy an iPhone you’re going to want to compare the screens. Often generic screens are installed that don’t have the same vibrant colour of brightness. I’ve been scammed once.
Price should be the first red flag.
You see something that's unopened/sealed, and is priced significantly lower than what the actual real product is selling for, it's probably a scam !!
The actual replicas are very convincing. They even appear in your iPhone as AirPod max. A good tip is to look for the hole in the earcup that allows the head band to be removed, the quality of the materials, various misspellings, packing material and all the above mentioned in the video. The seam on the sealed box is a giveaway too
Thanks for sharing that info , please share the link for that phone case
Dude that camera quality is amazing!!!
My advise if you buy new sealed phone/headphone: never buy items with warranty already running. If these headphones are indeed new, the Apple website won't show info abaout warranty or purchase date until activation. Scammers often sale fake items with stolen original serial numbers (that will be most probbaly already activated).
1. Meet the person at the company stores, like Apple. Have Apple look up the serial and know they're not stolen or have issues. I do this if I sell or buy products.
2. Apple doesn't shrinkwrap products either. The photo gave it away.
On Canal St., NYC, you can find these and.. the Vision Pro 😂😂 -hot off the back of a… scam
Great tips!! For me, I’m lucky enough to live on O’ahu which we have a couple of Apple Stores within driving distance. What I usually tell them is if they can meet me at the Apple Store. So far, each time I tell them that they don’t respond.
So just to be clear… you found out where he messed up and then told him how you figured it out so he could do a better job scanning the next person??? 3:56
Once you just get a bit of knowledge they were fake as soon he showed the Serial sticker, wrong font and all messed up spacing, but indeed it's so hard to know these things if you didnt fall in the rabbit hole
Great video sir however i'm still perplexed as to who's buying expensive merchandise on the street like this still in shrink wrap without seeing or touching the actual product inside? How does removing the shrink wrap actually diminish resale value for the seller? Sounds like a scam based on that alone to me.
you're basically giving lessons to the scammers.
how is a question mark passive aggressive?
the thing is that when you sell a product they get the serial number from other sellers. thats why isn't good to share those things in Facebook .
i was scammed the other day. called the local police and they did nothing. now im boutta start scamming airpod max’s🤷🏻♂️
So I recently got 2 pairs of AirPods Pro 2 (2022) from Amazon DE, one pair from Vietnam is genuine, the 2nd pair from China was fake.
Funny part is everything was perfect and even the fakes were better (I am an audiophile, I own headphones costing a lot more), but they did not show up on iCloud and so I tried to disconnect them and reconnect them, but they would not.
I send them to Amazon for repair, I told them that they would not reconnect, Amazon send me a complete brand new ones, but they also ended up being fake.
So I returned them and ordered some through my carrier.
Bro there is 1:1 fakes now you can’t even see or feel 😂😂😂😂
I’ve came to the same conclusion as this video over the summer. Dealt this multiple times tryna buy some but obviously I don’t have the time or energy to make a video. I just assume all are fake and you can easily spot with their other listing.
80% on fb marketplace are fake
One of the clearer ways is to just see how it's packaged. The cellophane in the pictures isn't how apple does theirs
Call support with the serial number and ask if there have been any claims made. Fake serials usually have 100s of em
What phone case is that you are using? Thanks and love the videos!
It's this one! bit.ly/412ZBko
Hey, what’s the case are you wearing on your iPhone? What’s the brand and where to get?
Thanks🙏🏻
Yo! Here's a link to it: bit.ly/412ZBko