Over 500 Scam Websites Offer to Sell iPhone X
Sales of the iPhone X officially began in Russia only yesterday, November 4, 2017, but the excitement around Apple’s new gadgets had been building for several days prior. For example, a long line formed in advance outside the Apple Store on Tverskaya Street, with spots in the queue eventually being sold for tens of thousands of rubles. Immediately after sales began, social media was flooded with posts offering iPhone X devices, and according to media reports, in some cases the price reached nearly one million rubles. For those without such a large budget, there were more modest offers as well—for instance, you could buy just the iPhone X box or even rent it for a photo shoot.
Unsurprisingly, the hype also attracted scammers online. Experts from Group-IB warn that fraudsters have already launched over 500 websites claiming to sell the new Apple devices. Of course, these sites do not actually sell any iPhones. Instead, the criminals simply collect advance payments from unsuspecting users, sell counterfeit smartphones, steal users’ confidential information, or even distribute malware.
According to Group-IB, a single scam website selling iPhone X devices can generate up to $68,000 in revenue. Experts estimate the total potential damage from these sites at $34 million.
One example of a scam involves requiring 100% prepayment for the iPhone X through the website, with the device’s price set about 30% lower than in official Apple stores. To “place an order,” victims are asked to provide their full name, email, phone number, and home address. After submitting this information, the user receives an email with order details and instructions to transfer money via online banking or an electronic wallet. Once the payment is made, the buyer is unable to contact the seller again.
In the summer of 2017, this same group of scammers launched at least 11 websites using this scheme. “A single site attracts about six thousand users per month. With a 1% conversion rate and a price of $1,200 per device, one such site can bring scammers over $68,000 per month,” experts explain.