Residents of Prince Edward Island are raising concerns about falling victim to counterfeit Apple AirPods scams on Facebook Marketplace.
Md Nayeem Shazib, a Cornwall resident, purchased what he believed to be second-generation AirPods Pro for $150 from a local seller. The seller claimed the AirPods were unwanted gifts, making them cheaper than the official retail price of $329 plus tax on Apple Canada’s website.
Shazib initially verified the product’s serial number, which matched a genuine Apple product. However, upon purchasing a second set for a family member, he discovered both sets had the same serial number, a clear indication of counterfeiting.
“I feel disgusted,” Shazib told SaltWire last week. “Here, you don’t really need to check the product if it’s fake or genuine. I trust people,” noting he was used to scams in his home country but not in PEI.
Jesse Campbell-Johnston, a cell phone technician at Charlottetown’s Mobile Klinik, noted that counterfeit AirPods have become increasingly convincing. “The counterfeits are becoming really, really realistic and very, very similar to the real ones,” he said. Checking serial numbers, he added, is no longer a reliable method for identifying genuine products.
Ashraf Jama, a friend of Shazib’s, also purchased counterfeit AirPods from a different seller but found they had the same serial number as Shazib’s. This has led to suspicions of a coordinated scamming effort on the Island.
Campbell-Johnston advises potential buyers to scrutinize sellers’ profiles for multiple AirPod listings and to purchase directly from Apple for guaranteed authenticity. “Always be careful online because usually if it sounds too good to be true, it is,” he cautioned. Both Shazib and Jama have reported their cases to the PEI RCMP.
