An Al Ain resident’s excitement over a brand-new iPhone 17 quickly turned into disbelief after he unsealed the box at home and found stones inside instead of the smartphone, Gulf Today reported.
Ahmed Saeed recalled that the packaging looked flawless when he purchased it from a mobile shop on Thursday. The box carried the same seal, weight, and appearance of an original Apple product.
The shock unfolded later that evening when he opened it in front of his family. “I was in disbelief. The box was sealed and felt genuine—it was impossible to imagine this,” Saeed said in a Gulf Today report.
When he rushed back to the store, the salesman was reportedly just as stunned. He later admitted that the phone had not been sourced from an official distributor but insisted he had been deceived as well. “Most customers open the box in the store itself. There was no intent to defraud. I was tricked as well, because the box looked perfect and authentic,” the salesman explained.
Saeed was refunded after returning the counterfeit package, which he described as “100 per cent identical to the original.” The case has since spread online, with many dubbing it the “iPhone Stone” incident.
Authorities have previously warned residents about purchasing electronics from unauthorized sellers, citing the growing sophistication of counterfeit devices and stressing that only certified outlets can guarantee authenticity and warranty.
