Morrow police have arrested two suspects who they say used Craigslist to sell counterfeit iPhones and nonexistent iPads and other Apple products.
Police said the duo, whom they won't identify until other possible victims come forward, would advertise on Craigslist and set up meetings with potential buyers. They would either sell fake iPhone 4s or show the buyer a real iPad or MacBook Pro laptop and then give the buyer a box with an Apple logo, but inside it would contain a floor tile of the same weight as the Apple product.
"This is a very common scam that has been running around town recently," Morrow police spokesman Captain James P. Callaway said. He said potential victims should contact the Morrow Police Department, which is trying to determine the extent of the scam.
The counterfeit iPhones are from China, Callaway said, and somehow escaped the attention of U.S. Customs when they entered the country.
The two suspects were in the process of scamming a victim out of $400 for two iPhones Thursday when they were caught by police. Callaway said a Morrow officer at Southlake Mall noticed a disturbance in the parking lot and found a man on top of a Volvo trying to prevent the driver from fleeing with his money. Other officers were called to the scene and cops allegedly found iPads and a MacBook Pro in the car. Callaway said the suspects used boxes with fake Apple logos on them to dupe buyers.
The pair was arrested and the police department seized the Volvo and a large amount of cash, Callaway said.
According to the Apple website, iPhones start at around $200 and can top $700. IPads can cost as much as $700. MacBooks can cost $2,500.
The two suspects, both in the 40s and from metro Atlanta, were in the Morrow jail Friday facing felony counts of theft by deception and multiple counts of trademark counterfeiting. Callaway said police were investigating to see if the suspects have criminal histories.
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