US Customs seizes record number of fake AirPods ~ Computer Hacking

In the nine months since October 2020, US Customs has seized roughly 360,000 counterfeit wireless headphones, such as the AirPods Pro, reports AppleInsider. The seized counterfeit headphones are estimated to be worth $62.2m.

This is well up on previous records. In the entirety of 2019, for instance, the agency seized counterfeit wireless headphones worth just $3.3m.

It's unclear exactly how many of the headphones were counterfeits of Apple headphones. However, The Information notes that the AirPods Pro are a hugely popular target for fakers because they can be sold for a high price.

In a comment to The Information, Apple said: "Counterfeit products deliver an inferior experience, and they can often be dangerous. Apple has teams around the world working with law enforcement, customs, merchants, social media companies and e-commerce sites to remove counterfeits."

Customs authorities around the world have learned to be wary of Apple or Apple-ish products, since counterfeiters are so fond of the Cupertino company's designs. Sometimes such bodies have been known to overstep: in 2020 we reported on a case where US Customs seized 2,000 sets of the legit but somewhat AirPods-reminiscent OnePlus Buds at JFK Airport in New York, an apparent error which authorities declined to acknowledge.

This article originally appeared on Macworld Sweden. Translation and additional reporting by David Price.

Adblock test (Why?)