Cellphones scam: Fraudsters have box-sealing machines to make phones look new

IMAGINE unwrapping a brand-new phone, only to discover it has four missed calls and 32 unread messages.

This is the harsh reality faced by some Harare residents who have fallen victim to unscrupulous phone dealers selling counterfeit or refurbished devices as brand new.

The scam has evolved, with dealers now operating from legitimate shops in the central business district.

To the untrained eye, it might be incredibly difficult to distinguish between genuine and fake cellphones.

These cell phones tend to have battery issues, such as shutting down unexpectedly at 85 percent charge or failing to reach full capacity, even after extended charging periods.

Some of these ‘brand new’ cell phones exhibit strange behaviour, such as turning on their screens autonomously, making random calls, sending unsolicited messages, switching to airplane mode mid-conversation, or toggling data on and off unexpectedly.

It is alleged that the dealers import boxes of popular brands like Samsung, Redmi, i-phones, Huawei and other top brands, repackage them, and sell them as original devices.

The phones are advertised as brand new, but customers soon discover they’ve been sold a lemon.

These cell phones are allegedly sourced from China and Dubai, and imported in bulk by dealers who take advantage of rock-bottom prices.

The trend is prevalent in the central business district, at the formerly Ximex Mall space, Zimpost Mall, Century Mall, the Gulf Complex near Market Square, and various electronics shops in glass-partitioned stalls.

At Gulf Complex, the majority of these refurbished cell phones have a two to three-day guarantee.

A visit to these areas is often characterised by customers arguing with dealers over refunds.

“I bought this Redmi 13C for US$120 from a legitimate store, still sealed in its box, but it’s malfunctioning,” said a disgruntled customer.

“It auto-dials random numbers, experiences spontaneous screen activation, and toggles data on its own,” she added.

She considers herself stuck in a bad situation, having swapped one problematic phone for another.

“I am exhausted from dealing with this,’ she added. “The original phone was far worse – it only took photos and would crash when I tried to record video. I exchanged it for this one, but it’s still a lemon.”

She alleges that the very phone, purchased from an electronics shop at Gulf Complex, was hastily refurbished and repackaged.

“After I reported the malfunction, they gave me this phone, but I was shocked to see them neatly removing my screen guard and phone cover, repackaging it in a new box, and putting it back on display as if it were new.”

The customer had no kind words for these unscrupulous dealers.

“If a raid were conducted, many of these mushrooming electronics shops would likely shut down. Authorities are currently focusing on counterfeit medicines and food products, while the market has been flooded with fake phones.”

Exactly as she had described, this reporter witnessed the phone’s brightness increasing on its own, and it began selecting contacts.

“Look how it misbehaves,” she said. “I have to constantly monitor it because it could post statuses or pictures to random people without my permission.”

These unscrupulous electronic gadget dealers can even dupe people as much as US$800.

“They ruined my Valentine’s Day,” said Mrs Vanessa Chandavengerwa from Highfield.

“My husband bought me a Samsung S23 for US$800 but within 24 hours, the screen started flickering and became blurred.”

She said they immediately rushed to the shop where her husband had bought the phone.

“We requested a refund, but the seller refused, saying, ‘We don’t offer refunds.’ Instead, he handed me another sealed S23 box.

‘‘Two days later, I realised I had been sold another dud – the phone was slow and the touch screen was malfunctioning.”

When she returned the phone, the seller refused once more.

This time, she took a different approach.

“My sister is a lawyer, she wrote a strongly worded letter demanding a refund, and surprisingly, the seller backed down. I got an Ecocash notification — my refund had been processed.”

Mrs Chandavengerwa said numerous cases like hers fly under the radar because many shoppers are not aware of their consumer rights and would not know how to seek redress.

An ex-employee of a Gulf Complex phone vendor said:

“We had a box-sealing machine to make these phones look new. We would import empty boxes for different brands and fill them with refurbished devices. If a customer gets a phone with missed calls or messages, it means someone’s head would roll – we were supposed to ensure all devices are fully wiped before resale.”

National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi warned unscrupulous electronic gadget dealers that they will be primary targets in the ongoing crackdown on counterfeit products.

“We haven’t received such reports, but given our ongoing crackdown on counterfeit products, we will investigate these claims and collaborate with relevant departments.

“If any criminal activity is uncovered, I assure you that the law will be allowed to take its course.”

The Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) chairperson, Mrs Respina Zinyanduko acknowledged the proliferation of counterfeit cellphones, noting that they were being smuggled into the country.

“The Commission is seized with numerous complaints from consumers about the sale of substandard cell phones,” she said. “Investigations conducted indicate that these cell phones are smuggled into the country from Dubai and China in sealed boxes.

“Some of the cell phones are imitations or original brands hence have similar but fake specifications.”

Although the Commission has been receiving complaints, Ms Zinyanduko, said previously, they typically encouraged refunds.

However, she warned that moving forward, perpetrators will face penalties.

“The Commission, upon receipt of the complaints usually engage the supplier who at times don’t hesitate to give a refund or an exchange. In future, these will become criminal cases so that perpetrators are brought to book. Those businesses found to be on the wrong side of the law will be made to account for their action.”

She urged members of the public not to hesitate to report such cases.

“Consumers are also being encouraged to report suspected counterfeit products and sellers so that appropriate action is taken. Anyone who has been short-changed is being encouraged to report through the Commission’s hotline numbers: +263 719 176b 856/861/865.”

A 2020 report by the former Auditor General Mrs Mildred Chiri said most mobile phones and accessories such as chargers and batteries being sold in the country were either counterfeit or sub-standard products.

“Audit inspected 32 shops in Harare, 15 shops in Bulawayo, four shops in Victoria Falls and five flea markets in Beitbridge which were selling substandard mobile phones and accessories,” reads part of the report.

The report said the sale of counterfeit mobile phones and accessories was due to smuggling and non-detection at border posts as unscrupulous cell phone dealers were using split consignments to evade authorities.

Split consignment techniques involve instances in which traders import products at market value below $1 000 using different people to avoid costs associated with obtaining a Consignment Based Conformity Assessment (CBC) certification.

The proliferation of counterfeit cellphones appears to have worsened since a similar report was released about five years ago. The Herald