Apple iPhone 12 Scam Cost Woman $1,500 for an 'Apple'-Flavored Yoghurt

Urian B., Tech Times 28 February 2021, 11:02 pm

While buying online has become a norm nowadays, some people still get scammed every once in a while. One of the most recent online scams was when a woman tried to purchase a $1,500 iPhone 12 online only to receive an apple-flavored yoghurt in its place. Instead of the iPhone, the buyer got scammed of her $1,500 and only received the yoghurt instead.

Apple iPhone 12 scam

The woman is reportedly named Liu and comes from East China's province known as the Anhui Province. She spoke about the particularly bizarre situation in a certain video that had spread far and wide on the popular Chinese social media platform known as Weibo. This was according to the report of the Global Times.

Liu had paid a whopping 10,099 yuan or about $1,500 USD in order to buy the new Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max with 256 GB memory on the official Apple website on Feb 16. However, when the package had arrived just two days later, Liu then opened it up and found a box of regular apple-flavored yoghurt.

Online buying scam

Liu said in the video that was uploaded to Weibo that the courier noted that he had left the package in a particular parcel locker within the residential community and Liu did not complain. The video, since then, has really gone viral around Weibo. There are now a number of commenters all hypothesising what could have happened to the missing Apple iPhone turned "apple" flavored yoghurt.

Local police are now investigating the reportedly odd situation and also treating it as a certain case of theft. Officers also suspect that the package might have been interfered with by certain criminals after it had left the official Apple warehouse. Both Apple as well as the courier company that was used for the said delivery, Express Mail Service, noted that they as well will be conducting a separate investigation into the recent crime.

Legal expert notes it could have been a fake website

According to the story by The Sun, Liu's account has then gone viral over on Weibo due to the unwanted substitution. There are now dozens of different commenters all speculating what could have happened in between. The legal expert Zhang Bo even said one commenter's theory is that Liu had purchased the said phone coming from a fake site. This could actually be very possible.

He then noted that online shoppers should definitely take care of themselves and also protect themselves from ongoing scams. He then noted to double check whether or not it is a legal as well as formal website before even paying for any product. It is also very important to open the package itself when the courier would arrive. Another thing to do is to also call the police as soon as possible if there is anything wrong with the package.