The iPhone 15 lineup will officially be released today in various countries, which obviously means that scammers and other sellers looking to make a quick buck will pounce on the opportunity to make unsuspecting buyers their next victim. Fortunately, Apple likely oversaw that such events would transpire, so it has found a unique solution to the problem; adding labels to the boxes of its latest models that can only be viewed under UV light.
Original iPhone 15 models are packaged in boxes with special labels and QR code
A video doing the rounds in China was uploaded by Majin Bu and shows how each authentic iPhone 15 box features a special label and QR code that can be seen when a UV light is projected on them. This is extremely helpful because 9to5Mac reports that sellers repackage used or refurbished devices and label them as brand new, with such iPhones placed in fake boxes to lure customers into believing that the product they will receive is authentic.
No Apple support document mentions the addition of hidden labels and QR codes, and for a good reason, as it will give scammers enough time to replicate the same holograms and repeat the same sales that they were carrying out before. There are other practices to abide by to ensure that you do not fall victim to these sellers. If you have a keen eye for detail, you can always pay attention to the box and compare it to others.
Alternatively, every iPhone box will have a unique serial number printed on it, so you can cross-check that number on Apple’s website to validate if it is an original product. It will also be prudent of you to request the seller to check if the serial number printed on the box matches that on the iPhone you are about to purchase. You can do this by heading to the Settings menu. It is likely that Apple will introduce this scam deterrent to other products, starting with its future portable Macs featuring the company’s M3 SoC.
