Counterfeit iPhone 5 handsets seized by Metropolitan police in Dagenham and Barking
The Metropolitan Police have reported that a number of fake Apple iPhones have been seized from street vendors in Barking and Dagenham, east London.
The devices, which police say are identical to genuine iPhones, can be powered up and even include a number of applications for potential buyers to try out.
The handsets, which also come with authentic-looking packaging and chargers, cannot make calls or connect to the internet. Apple has also confirmed the devices are fake.
The vendors are said to have approached people at random in the high street offering a cut-price sale.
The police were unable to provide details of the prices paid for the devices or the number of victims as Mobile News went to press.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “These items are very difficult to identify from the real thing so the rule of thumb should be ‘Don’t buy from people who approach you in the street’.”