A pair of counterfeit AirPods and its packaging. Photo by VnExpress/Hoang Giang
Vietnamese consumers, lured by prices as low as 250,000 VND (around $10), are being scammed with counterfeit AirPods, similar to genuine Apple products.
Hanoi resident Le Thanh was one of those victims earlier this month. He bought a pair of what she thought were AirPods Pro for just 5% off their official retail price of $169, via a Facebook ad.
The seller assured him of their authenticity, citing a 15-digit serial number that could apparently be verified online. However, Thanh later discovered that his purchase was indeed a counterfeit.
This recent influx of fake AirPods was described by Nguyen Thanh Long, administrator of a 100,000-member Facebook group for Apple enthusiasts, as the most sophisticated yet. He highlighted the difficulty of distinguishing these counterfeits from authentic products, highlighting their almost identical appearance and packaging. Even the serial numbers on the AirPods appear to match those on the boxes.
“It is not easy to prove that a product is counterfeit,” he said.
These knockoffs not only replicate the design, but also have features close to real AirPods, like wireless charging and Siri compatibility. “Previous knockoffs often skimped on features to keep costs down, but these replicas have it all,” Long said.
However, the illusion of authenticity fades upon closer inspection. Thanh realized the fraud on her AirPods when she heard a hissing sound at maximum volume.
Similarly, Cong Hoan, another Hanoi resident, noticed inaccuracies in the control features of his purchase on an e-commerce platform.
Long has highlighted poor sound quality and performance inconsistencies as common problems with these knockoffs. “Many members of my group have filed complaints about counterfeit products.”
