A mom who had traded in her Android for her first-ever iPhone was thrilled to display the new gadget, but soon discovered there were significant issues.
A
Reddit
Tobias Tawanda, known online as u/Tobias-Tawanda, uploaded an image of a touchscreen phone to the r/MildlyInfuriating community on May 8. In his post, he mentioned: “A friend’s mother enthusiastically displaying what she calls her brand-new ‘iPhone 16 Pro Max’ to both me and her own child.”
Another image displayed the “About Phone” details, indicating the model as an iPhone 16 Pro Max; however, it also mentioned “Android Version 12.” Certain individuals might immediately recognize that the gadget wasn’t actually an iPhone, let alone the 16 Pro Max, scheduled for release in 2024 with a price tag of $1,199.
Apple
website.
However, Tawanda told
Dailyexe
that his friend’s mother is in her late 50s and “not very tech-savvy.” She had never owned an iPhone before, instead using an old Samsung “for years” until it eventually stopped working.
The mother purchased the phone on
Facebook
Tawanda mentioned that the item came in a box and seemed believable at first sight, which probably made her trust it. She had spent nearly $600 on the phone, an considerable sum for her.
The poster added in a Reddit comment that when she described the phone as an iPhone 16 Pro Max Mini, Tawanda instantly saw a red flag, as “that model doesn’t exist.”
He and his buddy had to deliver the message that
it was fake
, and he told
Dailyexe
Understandably, she was quite disturbed when we informed her.
It remains uncertain if the mother can recover her funds, but Tawanda mentioned they “contacted the seller right away, though there has been no response.”
Her eldest child is currently assisting her in getting a suitable new mobile device. Additionally, we plan to file a police report—though we aren’t certain of its effectiveness, it seems like the appropriate course of action.
The posting garnered significant attention with over 90,000 upvotes. Many commentators expressed concern about potential darker issues, mirroring this sentiment: “We can only hope she doesn’t attempt to use it for a credit card or banking activities.”
“There could be anything installed on it and she 100 percent should not be using it,” another agreed, as a third said: “If there wasn’t
some kind of spyware
or something else on that phone I would be shocked.”
Other people indicated that it was improbable the seller would provide a refund, as someone commented: “This wasn’t due to chance.”
Another agreed: ”
The scammer
Isn’t going to reply. Their account might be empty or deactivated shortly. Treat the funds as lost and use this experience as a learning opportunity.”
E-commerce fraud, which pertains to purchases made over the internet, is substantial: In just 2025, losses due to online payment scams were projected to reach approximately $44 billion, as reported by Statista.
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