With the holiday season descending upon us, scammers are coming out of the woodwork, hoping to profit off those who are looking to cross items off their wish list without breaking the bank.How are they doing it? By duping folks into buying fake iPads in gas station and convenience store parking lots.
Authorities in North Texas, Georgia and Florida are tracking more than 30 incidents of people who have been tricked into paying upwards of $200 for an iPad that later turned out to be nothing more than a picture frame wrapped in black duct tape with an Apple symbol on the back and a Best Buy pricing label on the front.
The counterfeit iPad peddlers are approaching their victims in parking lots and showing them a genuine iPad to persuade them into buying one. Once the victim hands over the money, the crook pulls a FedEx box out of their trunk that appears to contain their brand new iPad covered in bubble wrap.
The bad guys make sure they’re long gone before the victim realizes they’ve been fooled. However, they’ll be more than happy to try and run you over if you manage to catch up with them.
Atlanta police believed that as many as 50 people are involved in the fake iPad sales scheme. So far only two arrests have been made and cops are looking for more people in Jackson, Mississippi.
If you’re hoping to get an iPad this holiday season, make sure you buy it directly from Apple or an authorized retailer – and no, random people selling them from their car trunks in parking lots don’t count.
Here’s the story from NBC 5 if you wanted to check it out:
Oh, and parking lots aren't the only place you will find fake iPads. They're also being sold online too.
Happy Holiday Shopping, folks!
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