Apple's launch of its new iPhone Duo foldable and iPhone 18 Pro models has been swiftly exploited by criminals setting up fake retail websites to defraud eager buyers. Security researchers have recorded a sharp spike in scam domains registered around the launch, using words like "Apple" and "iPhone" to lure people searching for cheaper deals, with victims typically paying by bank transfer and receiving nothing in return.

According to Alexandre François of WhoisXML API, more than 200 new suspicious domains were registered within 24 hours of the keynote, compared with almost none on a normal day, a pattern seen at each of the last four iPhone launches. The fake sites often use AI-generated content to look convincing, quote prices well below the official £1,199 (18 Pro) and £1,299 (18 Pro Max), impose false purchase deadlines, and demand payment via bank transfer or cryptocurrency to avoid card protections; anyone claiming to sell the yet-unlaunched standard iPhone 18 is automatically a scammer.