Involuntary used purchase: Is my smartphone really new? - Exposing scam devices
Scammers operating across Europe have assembled smartphones from used parts and sold them as new. Anyone who thinks they have been affected can start a private search with two phone numbers.
A European-wide network of scammers has been dismantled, which had been selling used smartphones as new ones, primarily through online marketplaces, since 2018. Over a million phones were sold, mostly Samsung devices, made from used parts. Buyers who suspect they have been deceived can contact the manufacturer's customer service with the device's serial and IMEI numbers to verify its authenticity.
The Zollfahndungsamt Essen has set up an email address, "Troja.GZD@zka.bund.de", for affected buyers to report. Samsung's support can be reached via live chat or WhatsApp.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
