Apple Serial Number Check Apple.com -

Moreover, the rise of "serial number spoofing" has created a new arms race. Hackers can steal legitimate serial numbers from broken, recycled devices and print them on fake boxes, fooling a casual check. The website says "Coverage Expired" for a valid model—a plausible status for an older phone—while the hardware inside is a cheap knockoff. This has turned the serial number check from a definitive test into a necessary, but not sufficient, condition of trust.