No Surprise: Nearly All Fake Apple Chargers Aren't Safe
The next time you’re in the market for a charger for your Apple product, it’s best to skip the less expensive counterfeit devices that are flooding the market. A study of 400 fake Apple chargers found that 99 percent of them didn’t pass basic safety tests, according to the BBC.
The study, which was commissioned by U.K. consumer protection body Chartered Trading Standards Institute, found that only three chargers purchased online provided sufficient insulation to protect against electric shocks.
The Trading Standards tests were performed by safety specialists UL, who released a white paper detailing what it found.
According to Leon Livermore, the chief executive of Chartered Trading Standards Institute, shoppers should only buy electrical goods from trusted suppliers.
He notes:
It might cost a few pounds more, but counterfeit and second-hand goods are an unknown entity that could cost you your home or even your life, or the life of a loved-one.
In November, Amazon finally started cracking down on product counterfeiters online. It came just weeks after Apple claimed that fake power adapters were rampant on the world’s largest online marketplace.
As Patently Apple noted at the time:
… Apple filed a trademark infringement cases against Mobile Star LLC for selling counterfeit power products such as power adapters and charging cables through Amazon.com. Apple believes these counterfeit products could lead to fires and are therefore a risk to the public.
Need more information on spotting fakes? See Apple’s FAQ, Identify counterfeit or uncertified Lightning connector accessories.