KITCHENER -- Waterloo regional police say a person received a fake iPhone 12 Pro Max in an online sale earlier this week.

The alleged fraud was reported to police on Monday. Officials say the victim met with the seller to buy the iPhone, which appeared authentic and cost $1,500. They say it looked like an iPhone 12 in look, size and layout.

When the victim took a closer look at the phone, they discovered it was fake. It was instead an Android-based phone disguised to look like an iPhone.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers.

Police say to look for signs of a fake iPhone, which include not connecting to the Apple store, slower function when scrolling, poor quality camera, an Android store app and a lighter weight.

An IT worker in Markham, Ont. reported a similar incident last week, getting a counterfeit iPhone 12 Pro Max when trying to update his older model iPhone 6.

He said he realized it was fake when he noticed a Google Play Store app, which is only available on Android devices.