Australian woman pays $1500 for iPhones, gets apples instead

Here's another reason not to trust too much in buying items via online classified ads.

An Australian woman was scammed out of $1,500 when she bought two iPhones from another woman via an online buy-and-sell site—and ended up with two real apples.

"Don't stay away because most people are doing the right thing, but be smart about what you buy ...if something seems too good to be true, it probably is," advised Senior Constable Jess Hopkin from the Upper Mt Gravatt Crime Prevention Unit.

Hopkin also said victims can report the matter to police at 1800 333 000.

Investigation showed the 21-year-old woman from Brisbane had placed an ad on online classified ad site Gumtree that she wants to buy iPhones, Australia's Herald Sun reported.

She then received a call from a woman who said she was selling iPhones. Both women arranged to meet at a fast-food joint, with the victim getting two iPhone boxes.

But the scam hit home when the victim got home and opened the boxes, only to find two real apples—one in each box.

Meanwhile, the report quoted Gumtree spokeswoman Niki Hennessy as saying the site takes its users' safety seriously.

"We are continually improving processes and user education to make Gumtree the safest possible platform for buying and selling," she said. — VC, GMA News