What are the red flags of this scam?

The price is hundreds of pounds below the official Apple, Sony, or retailer price — if it looks too good to be true, it is • The site asks you to pay by bank transfer, cryptocurrency, or gift card rather than credit or debit card — legitimate UK retailers never insist on bank transfer for consumer electronics • The domain contains the brand name but is not the official domain (e.g. 'iphone18-uk-deals.com', 'applemobile-shop.co.uk' — the real Apple store is apple.com/uk) • A countdown timer or 'only 3 left' message pressures you to pay immediately without checking the seller's legitimacy • The site has no verifiable UK company address, no Companies House number, and the contact page only offers a web form with a generic Gmail address • Product images and copy are identical to Apple's official press kit but the URL is wrong — scammers steal official imagery to build trust

What should I do if this happened to me?

Type the retailer URL directly into your browser — for Apple products use apple.com/uk or a verified authorised reseller. Never follow an ad or search-result link to buy a new gadget you have not independently verified • Pay only by credit or debit card — not bank transfer, not cryptocurrency, not gift card. Credit card payments over £100 carry Section 75 protection; debit cards have chargeback. Bank transfers have no automatic protection • Check the site on the NCSC's Scamchecker or Trustpilot before paying — a site registered this month with no independent reviews is a red flag • Search the company name on Companies House (find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk) — if it does not exist or was registered days ago, it is almost certainly fraudulent • If you already paid by bank transfer, call your bank immediately on the number on the back of your card and report it as a scam — the receiving bank can sometimes freeze the funds • Report to Report Fraud at https://www.reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.

HIGH marketplace Last reported: 26 Sept 2026 Share

A website offers a new iPhone or gadget hundreds of pounds below retail — the site is fake and takes your money

Q: Is this a scam?

Yes. This is a documented scam pattern. Fake online stores advertise new iPhones or gadgets £300-£500 below RRP, insist on bank transfer payment, then deliver nothing or a cheap fake. Over 200 fake iPhone 18 UK domains appeared within 24 hours of Apple's September 2026 launch.

Fake online stores advertise new iPhones or gadgets £300-£500 below RRP, insist on bank transfer payment, then deliver nothing or a cheap fake. Over 200 fake iPhone 18 UK domains appeared within 24 hours of Apple's September 2026 launch.

Also known as: fake Apple store UK, fake iPhone deal website, product launch scam UK, Apple copycat scam, fake gadget retailer UK, iPhone 18 scam site

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.

What to do right now

1 Type the retailer URL directly into your browser — for Apple products use apple.com/uk or a verified authorised reseller. Never follow an ad or search-result link to buy a new gadget you have not independently verified
2 Pay only by credit or debit card — not bank transfer, not cryptocurrency, not gift card. Credit card payments over £100 carry Section 75 protection; debit cards have chargeback. Bank transfers have no automatic protection
3 Check the site on the NCSC's Scamchecker or Trustpilot before paying — a site registered this month with no independent reviews is a red flag
4 Search the company name on Companies House (find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk) — if it does not exist or was registered days ago, it is almost certainly fraudulent
5 If you already paid by bank transfer, call your bank immediately on the number on the back of your card and report it as a scam — the receiving bank can sometimes freeze the funds
6 Report to Report Fraud at https://www.reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.

Red flags

⚠ The price is hundreds of pounds below the official Apple, Sony, or retailer price — if it looks too good to be true, it is
⚠ The site asks you to pay by bank transfer, cryptocurrency, or gift card rather than credit or debit card — legitimate UK retailers never insist on bank transfer for consumer electronics
⚠ The domain contains the brand name but is not the official domain (e.g. 'iphone18-uk-deals.com', 'applemobile-shop.co.uk' — the real Apple store is apple.com/uk)
⚠ A countdown timer or 'only 3 left' message pressures you to pay immediately without checking the seller's legitimacy
⚠ The site has no verifiable UK company address, no Companies House number, and the contact page only offers a web form with a generic Gmail address
⚠ Product images and copy are identical to Apple's official press kit but the URL is wrong — scammers steal official imagery to build trust

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

What to do right now

Red flags

Sources