One scalper bot pre-ordered 1,592 Apple Vision Pro spatial computers
The Apple Vision Pro spatial computer
Kasada has observed scalpers using bots to successfully preorder thousands of Apple Vision Pro spatial computers.
Earlier this month, Apple announced the Vision Pro will be available for sale in the U.S. beginning Friday, February 2, at all U.S. Apple Store locations and U.S. Apple Store online. Pre-orders for Apple Vision Pro began on Friday, January 19, at 5 am PST.
Kasada threat research identified notable botting activities during the pre-sale whereby several thousand were found to be purchased successfully by bots.
Kasada:
Kasada researchers uncovered the factors that made the Apple Vision Pro an attractive prospect for bots:
• Expected Demand vs. Supply: the anticipated demand far exceeded the limited supply, creating a lucrative opportunity for resellers.
• High Markup: With a sizable markup of thousands per unit, bots saw the potential for substantial profit.
• Flexible Return Policy: A 14-day return policy minimized risks for scalpers, providing an avenue to liquidate inventory.
Our key findings include:
(1) Face ID was not used to deter bots.
Face ID was not used primarily to stop bots (or multiple purchases), it appears as though it was more about the fit… [A] bot available for use… simply hardcoded the developer’s face scan value. Of course, those who use this bot as-is would be subject to purchasing the same size as what had been hardcoded.
(2) Apple ID restriction did not limit quantity.
Bots were able to circumvent the Apple ID restriction purchase limits. Kasada has found one bot was used to successfully check out 1,592 Vision Pro pre-orders, when used within an entire community. Some individuals within this community claimed to have obtained more than one device for themselves. This might have been accomplished by successfully obtaining newly generated or aged Apple accounts in advance of the event. At $2,500 above MSRP, this one bot would represent about a $4 million profit, assuming the entire inventory is resold.
MacDailyNews Take: Clearly, a desirable product with a known severely limited supply is a bot magnet.
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