How Do You Like Them Apples? 2 Hongkongers tricked into buying fake iPhone 7s within 3 days

With a perceived lack of innovative features and the removal of the earphone jack, the iPhone 7 has been met with a mixed response, to put it mildly… although you wouldn’t know it in Hong Kong.

At least 60 people have already been caught trying to smuggle the coveted cellphones over the Chinese border, and now it seems at least two unsuspecting Hongkongers have already been duped into paying a premium for useless dummy phones. 

May we remind you that the damn things only went on sale last Friday?

According to Oriental Daily, a 28-year-old man surnamed Lam said he found someone selling an iPhone 7 Plus for HKD8,900 online and arranged to meet them at Central MTR Station on Monday.

FYI, ordering an iPhone 7 Plus through the proper channels might take longer, but it costs between HKD6,588 and HKD8,288. In our humble opinion, getting the genuine article for less money is worth way more than first dibs. But we digress.

After handing over dosh, Lam tried to turn on his new toy, only to find that it was about as useful as a brick… or this crafty creation:


Photo: NBC

Unfortunately for Lam, the sneaky seller managed to scarper off with their ill-gotten gains before he realised he’d been sold a dummy. Like a dummy.

Then at 4pm today, a woman said she’d been victim to a similar scam on the PolyU campus. According to the Hong Kong Economic Times, the seller escaped once the customer opened the box. 

Police are treating it as a case of “obtaining property by deception” and are searching for the suspect.

Related articles:

‘How the iPhone 7 should have been announced’: Bangkok comedian’s parody goes viral (Coconuts Bangkok)
 


Got a tip? Send it to us at hongkong@coconuts.co


 



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