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-Sudhanshu Singh
The iPhone Duo is the hardest phone to buy right now, and scammers have noticed. Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky says it has found several fake websites around the world offering Apple’s first foldable at a discount or promising early pre-orders, all designed to trick buyers into handing over their personal details.
The timing makes sense for scammers. In India, iPhone Duo pre-orders sold out within an hour, fresh orders show January delivery dates, and stores have very limited stock. Anyone desperate to get one sooner is an easy target for a too-good-to-be-true deal.
A 25 percent discount and a 30-minute timer
One English-language site found by Kaspersky offered the iPhone Duo at 25 percent off. It was designed to look like Apple’s own website and showed a countdown timer claiming only 30 minutes were left on the offer, a common trick to rush people into buying without thinking.
Interestingly, the site didn’t ask for card details at checkout. It only collected the buyer’s name, contact details and address, and said a “manager” would call later to confirm payment and delivery. Kaspersky says this is often just the first step of a scam that ends in financial loss, since the follow-up call is where victims get talked into paying.
Fake redirects and WhatsApp traps
Other sites were even more polished. One multilingual page let visitors pick their language and currency, showed off the Duo’s features and claimed buyers would be sent to Apple’s official website to complete the pre-order. That never happened.
Another site, aimed at Portuguese-speaking users, asked for the buyer’s WhatsApp number and email address to “check availability.” Kaspersky says this moves the conversation to a private chat, where scammers can pressure victims more easily and use their details for further fraud.
“For fraudsters, a flagship buyer is a high-value mark: someone already willing to spend big and therefore more likely to share personal or payment-related details,” said Olga Altukhova, senior web content analyst at Kaspersky. She added that unofficial discounts, pre-orders or “availability checks” should all be treated as red flags.
How to stay safe
Kaspersky’s examples so far were spotted outside India, but the same tricks work just as well here, especially through WhatsApp forwards and social media ads. The simplest rule is that Apple isn’t offering any discount on the iPhone Duo. If a website or seller says otherwise, walk away.
In India, stick to Apple’s online store, Apple BKC in Mumbai, Apple Saket in Delhi or well-known authorised retailers. Check the website address carefully before entering any details, and be wary of anyone who wants to move the conversation to WhatsApp or a phone call. When paying online, using a virtual card or a dedicated payment app limits the damage if something goes wrong. Turning on two-factor authentication for your bank and UPI apps also helps.
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