SINGAPORE – A group of four men were charged with cheating after they allegedly sold fake iPhones as discounted genuine products.
Huang Yangshuang, 53; Huang Tiangui, 55; Zhu Peilin, 39; and Li Yangzeng, 33, were arrested on April 26 and were each charged on April 27 with one count of cheating.
The Chinese nationals are alleged to have worked together to sell the fake iPhones.
Police said they received two reports from victims on April 21 and 25, alleging that the four men had sold them the fake mobile phones.
The men had allegedly approached the victims, claiming they were short of cash and proposing to sell the mobile phones at discounted prices of between $180 and $400 each.
A genuine iPhone 14 retails for about $1,160 to $1,645 at official Apple stores.
Court documents showed at least one mobile phone was believed to be an authentic iPhone 14. A victim paid $180 for it.
The police said the victims discovered the mobile phones were fake after going to authorized dealers to have them authenticated.
Several mobile phones and accessories believed to be counterfeit have been seized by the police as part of investigations, and the personal mobile devices of the four men were also seized.
A photo of the seized items showed at least 41 mobile devices and several cables.
The police reminded the public that if the price of a purchase is too good to be true, then it probably is.
They also advised people to buy high-value items only from authorized sellers and reputable sources.
The four men are expected to be back in court on May 3 for further mention of their case.
Those convicted of cheating may be jailed for up to seven years and fined.
