Apple and charity Electrical Safety First tested 56 UK and 60 EU iPhone power adapters it identified as counterfeit and marked with Apple’s trademarks or lookalikes, those not marked with the trademarks but which copied the design of a genuine charger.
Dodgy sellers are hiding metal weights inside fake Apple power adapters to make them appear like genuine high quality accessories.
“Some of these new tactics are increasing the risk of electric shock and fire to the buyer including adding in metal weights to give the impression the adapter feels like a legitimate product.
"Criminal counterfeiters are doing everything they can to trick shoppers into thinking they’ve bagged a bargain, developing their tactics to avoid suspicion," warned Luke Osborne, deputy technical director at Electrical Safety First.
Electrical Safety First said such adjustments "seriously compromised" electrical separation, meaning the user is at risk of coming into contact with a very harmful level of voltage.
