Redditor theEdmard ordered an iPhone 15 Pro Max from the official Apple store in the UK, and was shocked to discover he had been passed a unit sporting Android. Despite receiving all the necessary delivery confirmations from Apple and tracking details from delivery partner Dynamic Parcel Distribution (DPD), someone had sold him a pup the moment the box was opened.

He got suspicious when he spotted a preinstalled screen protector because that is usually something you must pay Apple extra.

Upon booting up the smartphone, theEdmard quickly realised it was a cheap Android device in a skin,  Skipping through the setup settings, the user was met with preinstalled Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube on the screen, something Apple normally demands that you spend hours installing.

So he decided against logging into any accounts, including Apple ID and Apple Wallet, since the whole thing might be a conspiracy to steal his Coldplay collection.

He thought someone out there was issuing fake cheap Android phones to harvest Apple fanboy data.  

Apple was clearly concerned about the fake phone as it has not got back to him yet. 

The delivery service assured the buyer that "the box was sealed properly, and so it was never opened or tampered with," placing the responsibility beyond their scope.

Apple Press assured him that acquiring a fake iPhone directly from the official Apple store is unusual.