This iPhone 17 scam is why law-abiding citizens have to put up with slower Apple services

You buy the new iPhone 17, you tear it down, steal the original display panel and put a third-party as a replacement. Then you return the iPhone you bought to Apple (that's made possible by Cupertino's 14-day no-reason return policy). You have an original iPhone 17 display on your hands. You sell it.

Profit? Profit.

Illegal? Very much so.

That, however, didn't stop a group of scammers in China from enacting this very scheme.

Bad actors

Per a recent Fast Technology report (machine translated), Apple accepts iPhones in the two-week time frame even if the device was unboxed, activated and used. As long as there's no physical damage, you can return your iPhone without delving into lengthy discussions about why the phone you just bought doesn't fit your needs.

This allows scammers to exploit the price difference between genuine iPhone screens and cheaper third-party replacements. They have turned Apple's return policy into a way to make money, which has forced the company to tighten its return review process.

These individuals are mainly active through official Apple sales channels such as Apple Store retail locations and the company's website. Their main targets are devices in the iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 series, especially the newer iPhone 17 models.

How is it done?

Needless to say, don't do this at home. Or at your friend's home. Or anywhere, actually.

After receiving the phone, scammers remove the original Apple display and keep it to sell separately. They then install a third-party replacement screen that looks very similar to the original. Once the phone is modified, they return it using the 14-day return policy.

Based on current component prices, this method can generate nearly $140 in illegal profit per phone. Because they return the device afterward, they effectively earn money without paying for the phone in the end.

Apple is sick of it

As the number of such fraudulent returns has increased, Apple has strengthened its inspection procedures. All returned iPhones are now checked by verifying the unique serial numbers of key internal components. Devices that show signs of tampering, such as removed screws or non-original parts, can be detected during this process.

If fraud is confirmed, Apple will refuse the refund and send the device back to the buyer. The account used for the purchase may also be placed on a blacklist and monitored more closely.

The biggest victims of this situation are ordinary customers. Because the inspection process has become much stricter and sometimes requires phones to be disassembled and checked individually, the time it takes to receive refunds has noticeably increased.

If this abuse continues to spread, Apple may eventually tighten or even reduce its 14-day no-reason return policy in the future.

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