Over 1,000 Fake AirPods Pro Seized at Dulles International Airport, Counterfeiters Would Have Made $290,000

[MacRumors]

United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized more than 1,000 pairs of counterfeit AirPods Pro 2 devices from Washington Dulles International Airport back in March, the CBP announced yesterday.

Four shipments bound for Fairfax County, Virginia were inspected on March 15, and investigators found the 1,000 knockoff AirPods and 50 fake Apple Watches. The products were shipped from China, and counterfeiters would have made more than $290,000 selling the goods at Apple's suggested retail price had they been genuine.

The counterfeit Apple products were seized on March 29, but no one has been charged in the case.

"Unscrupulous manufacturers and vendors illegally profit on the sale of substandard counterfeit products at the expense and safety of American consumers," said Christine Waugh, CBP's Acting Area Port Director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C. "Customs and Border Protection urges consumers to protect their health and wallets by buying authentic consumer goods from reputable or authorized vendors."

The CBP says that during fiscal 2022, it seized close to 21,000 shipments containing counterfeit goods that violate the U.S. Intellectual Property Rights enforcement program.

Article Link: Over 1,000 Fake AirPods Pro Seized at Dulles International Airport, Counterfeiters Would Have Made $290,000

 

[gpat]

A bit exaggerated, who would buy counterfeit Airpods with likely functional flaws at the same price as Apple retail?
Would've sold for $100 at most

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

“Bro what are they?”
“Err… Pods?”

 

[IDontCareLol]

A bit exaggerated, who would buy counterfeit Airpods with likely functional flaws at the same price as Apple retail?
Would've sold for $100 at most

We see fake AirPods all the time. Most people say they bought them on eBay, market place, regional equivalent site or Amazon for a ‘sale price’. At a glance they’re impossible to tell apart from authentic Apple ones. Everyone thinks they’re buying authentic.

 

[segfaultdotorg]

The one good thing about the knockoffs is that Apple won't roll out a firmware update which destroys the active noise cancellation.

 

[blazerunner]

Serious question; how well do they perform?

 

[GeoStructural]

Serious question; how well do they perform?

Pretty good actually. This happened to a friend of mine, he was deceived online into buying these at a discounted price... they turned out to be fake but he only knew when taking them to the Apple Store. Surprisingly they still work just fine 🤯.

 

[contacos]

How do they define this like even ALDI sells 25 euro versions of those occasionally:

 

[rcread]

A bit exaggerated, who would buy counterfeit Airpods with likely functional flaws at the same price as Apple retail?
Would've sold for $100 at most

I bought a fake Apple iPad case on Amazon once. It was advertised as an Apple product. I returned it as soon as I got it.

 

[orbital~debris]

All these people buying knock-off versions from wherever… I am always curious if they realise they’re missing all the nice touches enabled by Apple ‘special sauce’ but don’t mind because “cheaper”, or if they just think that the limit to AirPod coolness is the white & silver cosmetic design.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

The one good thing about the knockoffs is that Apple won't roll out a firmware update which destroys the active noise cancellation.

Let's not forget about the Spacial Audio.

How to Set Up AirPods Personalized Spatial Audio

With iOS 16, Apple made available a new feature for AirPods users called Personalized Spatial Audio. This article explains what it is and how to set...

www.macrumors.com

 

[Analog Kid]

50 watches? Hardly seems worth the shipment...

I'm really curious what the profit margin on things like this turn out to be. It can't be much with the low volumes, risks, overheads and enticement discounts... Crime doesn't pay, but it must pay something to be worth the effort-- I wonder what that number turns out to be.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

This article is another living proof of why Apple should release the exclusive Transparent Airpods

 

[Isentropic]

There goes my reliance on AliExpress…sigh…

 

[WWP99]

Soon to be found at a bargain basement price on... Amazon.

 

[Kierkegaarden]

Sickening that this goes on. Maybe Apple will eventually put something on the product that users can scan to verify authenticity.

 

[VampyricGentleman]

Sickening that this goes on. Maybe Apple will eventually put something on the product that users can scan to verify authenticity.

Only for the fraudsters to copy it. I suspect many of these firms have someone inside the genuine manufacturer who provides them with schematics etc. I know this is only hearsay but I am sure I saw one company selling AirPods Pro 2 at rock bottom on eBay a week before the real thing came out

 

[poematik13]

louis rossman at it again

 

[coffeemilktea]

All these people buying knock-off versions from wherever… I am always curious if they realise they’re missing all the nice touches enabled by Apple ‘special sauce’ but don’t mind because “cheaper”, or if they just think that the limit to AirPod coolness is the white & silver cosmetic design.

I think they just want to look cool and trendy by having what look like the latest Apple products, but they're too cheap to buy the real thing.

 

[W£S]

Let's not forget about the Spacial Audio.

How to Set Up AirPods Personalized Spatial Audio

With iOS 16, Apple made available a new feature for AirPods users called Personalized Spatial Audio. This article explains what it is and how to set...

www.macrumors.com

I have seen a few fakes. They are really so good that it is almost a 1 for 1 copy, minus the actual sound quality and mic quality.

Functions like spatial audio works, so does ANC. Some sets even have find my that works (probably tapping on the phone’s location). Everything seems to work as an original.

The only thing they can’t seem to copy is the AirPod pro 2’s precision finding. So better get from trusted source, especially if you are getting AirPod pro and not pro 2.

 

[W£S]

I think they just want to look cool and trendy by having what look like the latest Apple products, but they're too cheap to buy the real thing.

Some of them are tricked into it. Just go YouTube and you will see videos of how much the fakes look like real ones. One video even said apple staff can’t detect the fakes when brought to the store.

 

[enigmaaron]

Checks google, yup there’s an Amazon fulfillment center in Fairfax County, VA. Those of you wondering who would buy these, they sell them on Amazon as seemingly legit. If it seems too good to be true you gotta verify who the seller is. Amazon is plagued with counterfeit products.

 

[JM]

They have some of these for $50 at the gas station across the street.

 

[HMFIC03]

A bit exaggerated, who would buy counterfeit Airpods with likely functional flaws at the same price as Apple retail?
Would've sold for $100 at most

It happens without many people knowing - my mother in law was having hell with hers dropping connections and it took quite a bit of examination to spot physical differences. Worst part was she badmouthed apple and bought some other crap off Amazon where she got the knocks offs in the first place

 

[HMFIC03]

They have some of these for $50 at the gas station across the street.

may not be fooling anyone under the age of 40, but still a shame when people think it’s the same ownership experience as the real think