Apple introduces tool to catch iPhone return fraud without opening sealed boxes, check details

Cupertino-based smartphone maker Apple is reportedly preparing a mechanism that could help the brand check an in-box iPhone’s contents without breaking the seal. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that the company is rolling out a “new retail tool” that can scan retail sealed-pack boxes of iPhones. It can run diagnostics and check for missing items inside the box to detect theft of accessories or the iPhone. The report added that the latest tool can help the brand tackle the dead inventory issue due to sophisticated methods of theft.

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Apple is reportedly relying on its technology that powers its “Presto” hardware. This machine currently lets Apple update iPhones before they are sold without opening the box to keep the seals intact.

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Gurman noted the company is facing a problem where a buyer (or a group) buy iPhones or other Apple devices and steals accessories from the box and then returns them to stores. In some cases, the ill-intentioned purchasers may pull components from these devices or steal the unit itself before mimicking the sealed-box packaging for returning purposes. These buyers do this in large numbers and have resorted to selling stolen accessories, parts or the device in the aftermarket. While it is a crime, this is being done on a business scale.

Also in Power On: Apple is rolling out a new retail tool that scans sealed iPhone boxes, runs diagnostics and helps prevent theft without turning returned products into wasted inventory. https://t.co/XSKU6yTysQ

— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) October 25, 2026

To deal with such issues beforehand, the  Apple Store retail staff open the box packaging of returned iPhones and other devices to check the contents, regardless of whether the product is sealed. While a genuine buyer might not indulge in these activities and have an apt reason for return even if the product is free from issues, opening the seal means the unit is sent for processing in Apple warehouses and goes out of the inventory of the stores.

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With the new tool, this practice is set to change as Apple can scan the in-box iPhones, run diagnostic tests to check if everything is in place without opening the seal. This will ensure the retail store can immediately update its inventory after the product packaging passes verification checks. While the latest application devices arrived at Apple stores earlier this month, they will now be put to use.