What sounds like a bad joke actually took place: Two chinese
students were importing a whole bunch of counterfeit iPhones
that could not be switched on but looked quite identical to
their pricey example from Apple.

During a certain time the chinese students were able to import over a thousand counterfeit iPhones that looked like their original. They claimed that the devices could not be switched on. Usually Apple is very polite when it comes to device replacement. Difficult-to-repair devices usually get fully replaced with a new or repaired/refurbished device that has ben thoroughly tested by Apple.

And so it’s obvious that the students’ plan was to profit from this rather generous replacement policy big time.

While Apple replaced the counterfeit phones quite quickly, the chinese students have shipped the original phones back to China and sold them there for big money. All in all they got 895.000 US$ out of this scam before they got caught. Missing tax declarations or inteningly false-filled tax declaration forms revealrd their hidden operation.

Apple then faced them with a cease-and-desist order and stop all activity following by a court lawsuit for faudulent usage of Apple’s repair policy.

While both students plead innocent and not knowing that the phones were counterfeit, a later investigation revealed that all of their scheme was planned as the money gained from the profitable sales was transferred via one’s student’s mum.

This could mean some toruble for the young man for frauding Apple!