Does Amazon Sell Fake Phone Chargers? What the Evidence Shows
Yes. Phone chargers have some of the strongest evidence of any category: Apple told a federal court that almost 90% of the Apple-branded power products and cables it bought on Amazon were counterfeit, and safety labs found nearly all fake chargers fail basic tests. That evidence is older, but customs seized 373,000 fake Apple chargers as recently as 2025. Here's the full picture.
Key takeaways
- Verdict: fake chargers have definitely been sold on Amazon, including at one point through listings sold by Amazon itself.
- In a 2016 lawsuit, Apple said almost 90% of the Apple products, power adapters and cables it test-bought on Amazon were counterfeit.
- A UK safety investigation found 397 of 400 counterfeit Apple chargers bought online failed a basic safety test.
- In 2025, US Customs seized 373,000 counterfeit Apple-branded chargers worth over $7 million.
- Buy chargers from Amazon.com, the phone maker or established accessory brands with verifiable safety certification.
This guide weighs the evidence by type. For practical checks, see our report on fake phone chargers on Amazon.
In this guide
- The verdict: does Amazon sell fake phone chargers?
- The evidence at a glance
- Evidence from court cases
- Evidence from safety tests
- Evidence from customs
- What changed since 2016
- What the evidence doesn't show
- Where the risk sits on Amazon
- How to avoid fake chargers on Amazon
- Frequently asked questions about fake phone chargers on Amazon
- The bottom line on whether Amazon sells fake phone chargers
The verdict: does Amazon sell fake phone chargers?
Yes, this one is well documented. Apple's 2016 lawsuit described counterfeit Apple-branded chargers and cables sold through Amazon, including some listings sold by Amazon.com itself. Since then, Amazon's sales rules for Apple products have tightened, but customs keeps seizing fake chargers in huge volumes, so third-party listings still deserve caution.
How we weighed the evidence
We rated each piece of evidence as strong, moderate or limited. Strong means court filings, customs seizures, safety lab results or company policies. Moderate means company data without category detail. Limited means individual buyer reports.
The evidence at a glance
| Evidence | Source and date | Strength | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Almost 90% of Apple products, power adapters and cables Apple test-bought on Amazon over nine months were counterfeit | Apple lawsuit against Mobile Star, 2016 | Strong, Amazon-specific but older | Fake chargers reached Amazon at scale |
| Every Mobile Star-supplied adapter Apple tested failed a high-voltage insulation test | Apple court filing, 2016 | Strong | The fakes posed shock and fire risks |
| 397 of 400 counterfeit Apple chargers bought online failed a basic safety test | UK Chartered Trading Standards Institute, 2016 | Strong, not Amazon-specific | Nearly all fake chargers are unsafe |
| 373,000 counterfeit Apple-branded chargers seized, worth over $7 million | US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Houston, May 2025 | Strong, recent, not Amazon-specific | Fake chargers still arrive in bulk |
| Only Apple-authorized resellers can sell new Apple products on Amazon | Apple and Amazon deal, effective January 2019 | Strong | Amazon tightened Apple product sales |
| More than 15 million counterfeit products seized and disposed of | Amazon Trustworthy Shopping Experience Report, 2025 data | Moderate | Amazon catches many fakes, across all categories |
Evidence from court cases
In 2016, Apple sued Mobile Star, a supplier to Amazon. Apple said that over nine months it bought more than 100 iPhones, power adapters and Lightning cables sold as genuine on Amazon, and that almost 90% were counterfeit. Some were sold directly by Amazon.com, according to Apple, and Amazon identified Mobile Star as the source and handed over its remaining inventory.
Fake safety marks
Apple also alleged that many of the fake adapters carried phony UL safety certification marks, and that every one it tested failed a high-voltage insulation test. These are Apple's allegations in its complaint, reported by Computerworld.
Evidence from safety tests
Independent testing shows why fake chargers matter. The UK's Chartered Trading Standards Institute bought 400 counterfeit Apple chargers online and found 397 failed a basic safety test. Safety organization UL reported that counterfeit Apple adapters it tested were so poorly built they posed a risk of lethal electrocution.
Evidence from customs
In May 2025, CBP in Houston seized 373,000 counterfeit Apple-branded Lightning chargers in 7,460 cartons, worth more than $7 million if genuine. CBP officials said criminal networks use e-commerce to ship counterfeits to unsuspecting consumers, as reported by ABC13.
What changed since 2016
Two things. From January 2019, only Apple-authorized resellers could sell new Apple products on Amazon. And on March 31, 2026, Amazon ended commingling, the practice of pooling identical items from different sellers in its warehouses, so new stock is now tracked by seller.
What hasn't changed
Generic and third-party chargers with fake safety marks don't fall under Apple's rules, and customs seizures show the supply of fakes is still huge.
What the evidence doesn't show
The strongest Amazon-specific evidence is from 2016. There's no recent public data on what share of charger listings on Amazon are counterfeit, and Amazon doesn't break down its counterfeit figures by category.
Where the risk sits on Amazon
| Offer type | Our risk read |
|---|---|
| Phone maker's charger, Ships from and Sold by Amazon.com | Lowest |
| Established accessory brand with verifiable safety certification | Low |
| Phone-maker-branded charger from an unknown seller | Higher |
| Unbranded chargers with safety marks you can't verify | Higher |
| Branded chargers in bulk packs far below normal prices | Very high |
How to avoid fake chargers on Amazon
These steps follow directly from the evidence above.
- Read the Sold by line and favor Amazon.com, the phone maker or an established accessory brand.
- Be wary of phone-maker-branded chargers from unknown sellers, especially in bulk packs.
- Compare the price with the phone maker's site. Branded chargers far below it are a red flag.
- Look for a safety certification mark and verify it in the certifier's public database.
- Check the weight and build quality against a genuine charger when it arrives.
- Watch for heat, buzzing or slow charging during the first uses.
- Stop using any charger that gets hot, smells or sparks, and return it.
Need a reliable charger? See our best wireless chargers picks and our evidence review on whether Amazon sells fake batteries.
Frequently asked questions about fake phone chargers on Amazon
Does Amazon sell fake phone chargers?
Fake chargers have been sold on Amazon. In 2016, Apple said almost 90% of the Apple-branded products and chargers it test-bought there were counterfeit, and customs still seizes fake chargers in bulk.
How strong is the evidence?
Very strong for chargers: a federal court filing, independent safety tests and recent customs seizures. The main gap is that the Amazon-specific evidence dates from 2016.
Are fake chargers dangerous?
Yes. A UK investigation found 397 of 400 counterfeit Apple chargers failed a basic safety test, and UL found some posed a risk of lethal electrocution.
Are Apple chargers sold by Amazon real?
Apple chargers shipped and sold by Amazon.com today should be genuine, since only Apple-authorized resellers can sell new Apple products there. Check third-party offers carefully.
Are third-party chargers on Amazon safe?
Chargers from established accessory brands with verifiable safety certification are a good choice. Unbranded chargers with unverifiable safety marks carry more risk.
What should I do if my charger seems fake?
Stop using it, photograph the labels and listing, and start a return from Your Orders. If a third-party seller doesn't help within 48 hours, file an A-to-z Guarantee claim within 90 days, and report dangerous chargers at SaferProducts.gov.
The bottom line on whether Amazon sells fake phone chargers
Fake phone chargers are one of the best-documented counterfeit problems on Amazon, and almost all fakes fail safety tests. Rules have tightened since 2016, but the supply of fakes hasn't gone away.
Your next step: buy chargers from Amazon.com, the phone maker or an established accessory brand, and verify any safety mark before you plug in.