Fake top-of-the-range smartphones have been seized by police after vendors were found to be selling them on the high street.
The counterfeit Apple iPhone 5s — the latest of the phone giant’s sleek mobile handsets — were identical to the real thing, claimed the Metropolitan Police.
They even included phone chargers and authentic-looking packaging.
The sellers were said to have approached their victims at random, close to shopping parades in Barking and Dagenham, offering an irresistible deal.
A spokesperson for the police said: “These items are very difficult to identify from the real thing so the rule of thumb should be ‘Don’t buy from people who approach you in the street’.”
Once unwrapped the handsets could be powered up and even included a number of applications for their new owners to test out, however they could not be used make any phone calls or connect to the internet.
Apple has confirmed the devices are fake.
If you have information concerning the sale of fake goods please call Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
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