Warning: Residents duped by counterfeit electronics

On Tuesday, Dec. 5, Matt Burns met up with a local Horizon West teenager in the Summerport Village area to purchase what he thought was a used Samsung Galaxy phone from Facebook Marketplace. 

Less than 24 hours later, Burns, who works in the technology field, discovered the used Galaxy S23 Ultra, which he had purchased for $500, was a fake. 

When he attempted to message the seller asking to return the phone and obtain his money back, he was blocked.

Burns now plans to file a police report to protect others from similar experiences. 

“I’m very technology savvy and cautious when it comes to validating items,” he said. “I’ve done more than 50 transactions on Facebook Marketplace, and I’ve never been scammed before.”

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE

Burns had been looking for a new phone because his current Galaxy S21 Ultra had run out of space.

At $500, the phone he saw on Facebook Marketplace was a great deal. The same model goes for about $1,600 new.

Before meeting, Burns requested a photo of his name next to the phone. The teenager sent a video showing off the phone and saying Burns’ name. Burns also Googled the seller to confirm his identity.

The teenager asked to meet at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 5, at the HOA pool lot in the neighborhood. 

Burns said the phone looked perfect visually and the teenager already had it in the factory reset mode. It also came with a Samsung box, complete with its EID number.

Burns said the phone worked when he called his wife, and he put his SIM card from his old phone to start receiving data. 

Burns let the data transfer run overnight, but by morning, it still wasn’t done. That’s when he became suspicious.

“I opened the camera, and the camera looked different — like a cheap, cheap, old camera,” he said. “As I started inspecting the phone further, I found that it was referencing a micro SD card as part of the storage even though the phone doesn’t have micro SD slots. I started Googling to find out that these new phones … have fakes so good, with box and all, that you cannot tell, for the most part almost, that they are fake.”

Burns tried to pry off the back of the phone — and realized it was plastic. 

“It basically just disintegrated,” Burns said. “When it fell apart, I could see the micro SD card. I could see that it was clearly really old phone parts hidden inside what looked like a perfect replica of a S23 Ultra. It blew my mind that a counterfeit could be that good.”

He then contacted the teenager through the phone number he had from Zelle. Burns told the seller he had saved messages and video footage from his Tesla dash cam.

“Feel free to file a report,” the teenager replies. “All Facebook sales are final, and all items are sold as-is. The phone is not fake, and I’ve allowed you to thoroughly check it out. Your video will also prove that you have checked out the item before purchasing and you are purchasing on your own free will.”

Burns isn’t this teenager’s only victim. Ken Albino was scammed in August when he bought a pair of counterfeit AirPods for $57.

Albino, who also has a background in technology, said the AirPods also looked legit and came in a replica box. However, he kept receiving complaints that people could not hear him when he used them.

Upon taking the item to the Apple Store, Albino was told the AirPods were fake. 

When he realized he was unable to view the seller’s profile on Facebook, he sent the teenager a request back on Cash App, saying, “For fake AirPods. Police report in process.” The request was declined.

“I wanted to be the only victim, because I was like, ‘You know what kid, enjoy your $50. You’re going to be looking over your shoulder knowing you did the wrong thing,’” Albino said. “But greed got the better of him to where now he’s legitimately scamming someone out of what could be someone’s whole paycheck.”

WHAT YOU CAN DO

To identify counterfeit electronic parts, precautions to take include reading the labeling to look for incorrect information, carrying out an X-ray inspection, using a scanning acoustic microscope, looking for signs of resurfacing or physical deformities and destructive testing.

According to Jody Fisher Law, in Florida, a person can face two specific charges for counterfeiting. The offenses include “selling goods or services with a phony trademark or intellectual property designation and forging or counterfeiting a good or service protected by a trademark or other intellectual property designation.”

Under Florida Statute, a person can be charged with a first-degree misdemeanor if he or she knowingly forges and/or sells forged merchandise. The offense can be escalated to a felony of third, second or first degree.

Burns recommends locals meet at an authorized retailer for the exchange, such as an Apple Store or Verizon location to validate the item.

“Ideally, you want to pay people for things through PayPal goods and services,” Albino said. “With Zelle and Cash App, once you send that money, it’s gone. 

“With how good the fakes are becoming, it’s very hard to verify if something is real or not,” he said. “I just wouldn’t buy used electronics on Facebook Marketplace. I definitely won’t be doing it again.”