US customs are seizing record numbers of counterfeit AirPods

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(Photo: Media News Group / Bay Area News / Getty Images)

US Customs and Border Protection is reportedly seizing a record number of counterfeit AirPods and a variety of wireless earbuds made by Bose, Sony and other well-known companies.

The agency’s Cincinnati branch said it had “inspected five shipments of headphones from China and found what appeared to be 5,000 fake Apple AirPods and 1,372 fake Apple AirPods Pro” on July 7. Official versions of those products would be worth around $ 1.3 million in total.

Information reported that U.S. Customs seized approximately 295,000 pairs of counterfeit wireless earbuds worth $ 61.7 million in fiscal 2020. Nine months after fiscal 2021, these numbers have already risen to 360,000 pairs of earbuds worth $ 62.2 million, according to the report.

These increases have been attributed to the growing popularity of true wireless earbuds, especially the AirPods line, and the relative ease with which they can be copied.

The Verge reported that the counterfeit AirPods can be shipped with a legitimate Apple serial number, mimic the pairing process used to connect the earbuds to a device, and even be made using genuine AirPods molds obtained by the companies that manufacture the product for Apple.

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US Customs said the best way to avoid counterfeits is to purchase items directly from the “brand owner or authorized resellers” and “read seller reviews and check for a working US phone number and an address that can be used to contact the seller “when shopping online.

The agency also provides guidance on detecting counterfeit products on its website and false suspects can be reported via the “e-Allegations portal” or by calling 1-800-BE-ALERT.

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