2,000 Fake iPhones Seized

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Customs officers in San Francisco confiscated a shipment of 2,000 iPhoneys they estimate to be worth $1.2 million.

The faux iPhones flew in via Taiwan before being ferreted out by customs agents on March 9.

They must have been pretty good fakes it took about a month to verify that they were, in fact, fraudulent.

A video from local ABC station show some pretty heavy-handed knock-offs sans Apple logo on the back.

One of the tip-offs: the almost-iPhones had a sliding back cover to remove the battery while on the real deal, the battery compartment is sealed.

Customs officer Ed Low told newspapers he thought the phones could fetch $600, without a service contract.

That strikes me as a little overblown: the last fake iPhone a friend of mine bought over eBay cost about $80, (60 euros) though it was a pretty chintzy copy.

Via San Jose Mercury News

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