Counterfeit AirPods and AirPods Pro earbuds have been a problem basically since day one, and one TikTok user discovered her’s were fake the hard way when she took them to an Apple Store Genius to remedy an issue she was having with them.
Counterfeiters of AirPods have gotten quite good at faking the popular wireless earbuds, buyers don’t know they’ve been scammed until someone else tips them off. In TikTok user Kayla Bishop’scase, she found out when she visited her local Apple Store when her “AirPods” stopped working one week after she purchased them.
As reported by The Daily Dot, Bishop posted a TikTok video showing her visit to her local Apple Store’s Genius Bar. While Bishop had hoped Apple would repair or replace the faulty earbuds, she was instead told that the earbuds were counterfeit.
Her TikTok video shows an Apple Store worker demonstrating how he knows they are fake. You can view the video below.
@itskaylabishop Well makes sense that they stopped working after a week😅. I was mortified, yall! Count your days, scammers!!!! #embarrassing #applestore ♬ original sound – Kayla Bishop
Counterfeit AirPods are big business for the criminals of the world. Counterfeit devices and accessories pour into the country on a regular basis, many of them from China.
How to Tell if Your AirPods Are Fake
There are ways to determine if your AirPods are fake.
Newer iPhone models can automatically detect fake AirPods. Once the earbuds are connected, a message will appear on the device saying, “These headphones could not be verified as genuine AirPods and may not behave as expected.”.
If you requested to have a Memoji engraved on the AirPods Pro 2’s charging case, you should see that same Memoji displayed on the status screen of your iPhone and iPad. If you don’t see that, then you may be the proud owner of a counterfeit pair of AirPods Pro 2.
You can also verify your AirPods Pro’s serial number on Apple’s website.
- Enter the Settings app.
- Tap on “Bluetooth.”
- Tap on the (i) button next to the AirPods’ name.
- Tap and hold on the Serial Number to copy it.
- Go to checkcoverage.apple.com and paste the serial number in the field on the page.
This web page is designed to display the warranty and additional coverage details of official Apple products. If your AirPods are genuine, you’ll see all of the proper information. If they’re fake, the website will display an error message.
Always purchase your AirPods (or other Apple products) directly from Apple or from an authorized reseller. While we have seen the occasional report of folks claiming to have received a counterfeit product from an authorized dealer, at least you’ll have Apple’s or the authorized seller’s return policy to protect you.
