Talk about a safety risk.
If you’re a cheap, non-commercial iPhone charger then you could be putting both you and your home at risk, according to a report by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute.
Newstalk reports that researchers tested 400 cables that were not officially Apple-branded, and that only three of them passed safety standards.
“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,” said Leon Livermore, Chartered Trading Standards Institute chief executive.
Poorly insulated wires – common to most counterfeit cables – can cause electric shocks or even fires.
You can tell a fake for the real thing by looking for mistakes in logos, while also checking plugs for safety marks.
Lord Toby Harris, chair of National Trading Standards, said: “Many of us quite rightly assume that everything we buy will be safe, but recent work by our teams show how dangerous electrical goods can easily end up in homes up and down the country.
“Criminals across the globe are using online platforms to lure you in with cheap deals for fake items, many of which are dangerous and have been known to overheat and cause house fires.
“Protecting consumers from harm is our top priority and National Trading Standards teams are working closely with partners – including search engines, social media platforms and producers – to remove dangerous electrical items from our supply chain.”
