Saanich police Sgt. Steve Eassie has come across his share of counterfeit goods, such as purses and watches, but his department has only recently seen the likes of a phoney phone that cost a local man more than $500.
Eassie said the department is well aware of the counterfeits, but hadn’t dealt with one until a victim came to them after answering an advertisement on an Internet sales site for a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 phone. The victim arranged to meet the seller and bought the phone, then realized something was wrong.
“The buyer went home, at which time they were able to identify that the phone itself although it looks to very real, was not, in fact,” Eassie said.
The phone was illegally manufactured overseas, likely in Asia, he said.
Eassie said that even the box the phone came in appeared to be legitimate.
“Opening up the packaging and whatnot, the phone appears to be in relatively good condition, although it does appear to be slightly used — and that’s what it was being reported to be, was a used phone.”
The seller wanted $580 for the phone and settled for a little less, Eassie said.
Retail prices for new models can be at least a few hundred dollars more.
The buyer soon realized the phone he bought “was having some issues” and took it to a reputable dealer to be checked, Eassie said.
“That dealer was able to determine that there were certain functions of the phone that did not work. There were certain things that should have been added to that phone that had not been added. Those were things that would have been added at the manufacturer’s level.”
Camera functions were among the missing features, Eassie said.
The buyer then contacted Saanich police. An undercover officer answered a similar ad and set up a meeting at a coffee shop.
“They were able to negotiate a price [and] a second phone was purchased from that individual,” Eassie said.
“He was arrested very shortly thereafter by another officer that was sitting in close proximity.”
Eassie said the man arrested is 24 and appears to be from the Kelowna area. He may also have ties to Alberta.
Three or four phones have been seized, Eassie said.
Investigators believe there is “a very strong likelihood” that others have been victimized by the same person, since they came across text messages indicating that might be the case.
Without police intervention, it is possible that the number of counterfeit phones sold could have climbed to 50 or more, he said.
Eassie said an expert contacted by police through Samsung estimated the value of the counterfeit phone was about $150.
The investigation continues and charges have yet to be laid.
“We’re looking for other victims that may be in the community,” Eassie said.
People unfamiliar with features of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 may have purchased a counterfeit and not realized they were taken in, he said.
“Anybody that may be questioning whether they have a valid phone, they’re encouraged to take it into a reputable dealer.”
Checking serial numbers should be a basic step for buyers of used cellphones, Eassie said, both to ensure the numbers are valid and that they are not on a so-called “black list.”
“Most reputable cellphone companies will update the black list regularly,” he said. “A black list would include phones that had been reported stolen or lost.”
