If you've ever lost an iPhone charging cable and had to rush out to buy a cheap replacement, be careful: fake chargers can pose a serious fire hazard.
Knock-off iPhone equipment has caused numerous house fires and electrocution incidents over the years, and could give you a sharp shock or worse.
While certified third-party chargers should do the job safely, there are countless counterfeits masquerading as the real deal.
A study by charity Electrical Safety First tested a number of fake chargers and found that 98% put consumers at risk of lethal electric shock or fire, so it pays to be sensible.
Luckily, Apple has produced a guide to identifying dodgy chargers, which could damage your iPhone or get dangerously hot.
Certified iPhone accessories have a 'Made for iPhone' label on their packaging, while authentic Apple Lightning cables will have "Designed by Apple in California" on their side.
You can also check the finish of the Lightning-connector end of your cable. If the width, length or thickness of the golden metal 'teeth' on the cable are inconsistent, you could be using a phony charger.
If you don't want to fork out for a pricey Apple cable, just make sure you're buying from an authorised seller rather than a random shop.
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Even if your phone charger is legit you should still be wary of fire hazards. Charging electronics in bed can be particularly dangerous, posing both an electrocution and fire risk.
Authorities are increasingly clamping down on the sale of counterfeit phone accessories.
Last month, a shop in West London was slapped with a £16,000 fine for selling more than 5,500 fake Apple and Samsung products.
According to council officers, tech experts quickly identified the shops' products as fakes, with batteries, charging cables, phone cases and adapters with knock-off branding all seized.
Worst of all were stacks of fake 'Apple Airpods Pro 4' earphones, a product which does not actually exist.
- iPhone
- Apple
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