With bad economic times and Christmas around the corner, bargain hunters are going to be out in droves.

But if a deal seems too good to be true, it likely is. Apple’s various iPods have sold millions of units worldwide, and the unscrupulous are trying to cash in on that trend by selling knock-offs.

Clever copies of Apple’s iPod Shuffle and Nano models have popped up for sale on the Internet, often priced substantially cheaper than the real deal. Lockport resident Jake Crandall bought his phony iPod Nano off eBay in early November for $99.99, $50 cheaper than a store-bought version.

“The first thing I noticed was the packaging,” Crandall said. “It was in a crinkled sleeve, just not as clean and neat as something Apple would put out.”

It’s easier for sellers to peddle a fake over the Internet, since customers don’t get a chance to examine the product before they buy, but it’s far from the only place fakes are sold.

Last November in Georgia, the Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs ran a sting operation that uncovered non-Apple mp3 players being sold at kiosks called iPod World in several Atlanta-area malls. Even though none of the electronics were authentic Apple products, the investigators found the appearance, design, packaging, function and pricing were virtually identical to those of the genuine Apple items. One salesman was said to have demonstrated the features of a fake by using a genuine iPod.

Examining the product they’re buying and not allowing a bait and switch is one way the consumers can make sure the features they see are the ones they get. While there are several variations on the phony iPod, many have similar problems in design that can quickly give them away.

First, iPod’s control wheel should be touch-sensitive. Most fake iPods have click wheels that look the same, but they fail to react properly when the user swipes his or her finger across them. That was a dead giveaway to Crandall, who has seen plenty of iPods and knows how they’re supposed to work.

“The wheel on the fake one clicked and was clunky,” Crandall said. “It wasn’t the smooth scroll of a real iPod.”

Some have an extra “Vol” symbol control at the bottom of the wheel, while the Play/Pause symbol is located at the center, instead of at the bottom like in the genuine item.

The unit should have an iPod dock connector port for iPod-compatible speakers and headphones at the bottom. Since the port is Apple-specific and is difficult to replicate, many fakes have a mini-USB port instead. Some of the fakes also sport non-standard headphone jacks, with ear-piece designs that are different than Apple’s. Those won’t line up with the holes in an Apple iPod cover either.

The LCD screen on most fakes is longer and display a somewhat different operating system. When turned on, a real iPod will display an image of the Apple logo. Crandall’s displayed an hour glass and a status bar. Others present an animated welcome screen or various Chinese characters or logos, all of which are a sure-fire sign that the device isn’t from Apple.

In terms of functionality, some fake iPods offer added functions, like video viewing, an FM radio tuner or voice recorder. These functions are not available in the genuine iPod.

Even though there are plenty of differences, there are lots of things that paint a convincing picture. Fakes are sometimes stamped with a valid Apple serial number. Many have been found to use the specific Apple iPod serial number 6U545TK2TJT.

The genuine player should be packed in a transparent plastic box with the Apple and iPod logos stamped on it. Fake iPods are usually sold in clear plastic cases without any markings like Crandall’s, but sometimes frauds come with genuine packaging taken from real ones or printed on a computer to look authentic.

In-person buyers should take all of the warning signs into account when looking to purchase an iPod, and be wary of any deals that seem to be a little too cheap. When purchasing a unit on Web sites like eBay, be sure to look at the user’s history, looking specifically for negative comments relating to fake merchandise. That’s a good start, but by no means a guarantee, since the seller who provided Crandall’s iPod had perfect feedback ratings and, in an e-mail, said he had been scammed himself.

In a statement, Apple said it is taking the matter very seriously and requests that any information from buyers of the counterfeit players. Any of the company’s service providers who come across fakes are asked to take photos of the device, find out where the item was purchased and send the information to Apple's technical support group, complete with any serial number printed on the player.

But that only helps Apple, not the consumer. In the event they’re sold inauthentic merchandise, buyers should let the store or Web site know immediately. Crandall immediately filed a complaint with PayPal, eBay’s payment company, and got in touch with the seller. The price he paid for the player itself was refunded, but he was left with the cost of shipping the unit to and from the seller.

“We returned it at our expense on top of what we had to pay in the first place, so we were out $20 and had to go out and buy a real iPod anyway,” Crandall said. “We ended up spending more than if we had just bought a real one at the store in the first place.”

Contact reporter Daniel Pye at 693-1000, ext. 158.