How To Spot A Fake iPhone, And Other Phony Tech Gadgets

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Flickr/B Rosen

Counterfeiters sell $700 billion worth of fake products every year, says Craig Crosby, founder and CEO of the Counterfeit Report, a site dedicated to stopping them,

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And when it comes to fake electronics, these things aren't be tested or regulated. They can be dangerous.

Over the summer, two people in China were electrocuted, from using reportedly fake smartphone chargers. The situation was so awful that last month, Apple launched a charger "take-back" program. If you bought a dirt-cheap replacement Apple charger and aren't certain it's authentic, bring it to an Apple store and Apple will replace it.

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But Apple isn't alone. Counterfeiters are building all sorts of fake products. While not all of them will kill you, there's a reason that they're cheap. They aren't certified. Don't use the same materials and won't perform like the originals.