Fact Check

FALSE: Brand New iPhone 6 for $1

Rumor: Apple is selling brand new iPhone 6S units for $1 each.

Published July 18, 2013

Claim:

Claim:   Apple is selling brand new iPhone 6S units for $1 each.


FALSE


Example:   [Collected via Facebook, October 2015]


Apple iPhones for $1....is it a trap/scam?



 

Origins:   Yet another form of the ubiquitous "sweepstakes scam" hit social media in October 2015, with the repeated posting of a Facebook item promoting "Apple's Shocking 2015 Sale" under which customers "Can Now Get a Brand New iPhone 6 for $1."

Those who clicked on the link underlying such posts were taken to a page imitative of a news article, reporting that "As part of a special promotion, Apple is working with its trusted distribution partner, FunkyClock, for giving away iPhone 6S's that cost 99% off regular retail price."

But FunkyClock isn't a "trusted distribution partner" of Apple, and they aren't participating in a promotion to "give away' iPhone 6s or sell them for $1 each. FunkyClock is a game site, and users who read the fine print for this promotion will note that they have to sign up with FunkyClock, supply a credit card number, play at least 10 complete games, and agree to pay a hefty monthly subscription fee of $119, all to gain a one in 500 chance at winning a "free" iPhone 6.

Of course, $1 isn't the price of a "New iPhone 6S"; it's a charge that will be applied against the credit card number you supply to FunkyClock to ensure it's valid (and thus open to future additional charges). It's also unlikely there will be any actual "winners" of "free" iPhone 6s in this promotion, but even if there were, agreeing to pay $119 per month to gain a 0.2% chance of winning an iPhone that retails in the $700-800 range is a very bad bet indeed.

Last updated:   13 October 2015

David Mikkelson founded the site now known as snopes.com back in 1994.