“Prototype iPhone 6” A Hit On eBay

What’s supposedly a rare prototype of the iPhone 6 is up for auction on eBay. At the time of writing, bidding was closing in on $100,000.

The highly suspicious listing claims the seller, “kimberlyk1018,” received the phone by mistake when she ordered an upgrade from Verizon. The phone supposedly has no FCC markings or model number and a red casing on the lightning port, both of which are billed as signs it’s a prototype. It’s also said to run internal testing software “SwitchBoard” rather then iOS 8.

After going up with a starting price of $999, the high bid had reached $99,800 as it came up to the end of the fourth day of the one-week eBay purchase. It should be noted that not all bidders appear to be taking things seriously: of 198 bids, 17 have either been cancelled or retracted. Business Insider notes it’s possible some people genuinely would be willing to pay high amounts for a prototype, for example a rival company looking for insight into the phone’s workings.

If the listing is some sort of prank or scam, the seller will need to watch their clock. eBay rules mean that less than 12 hours remains in the auction, the seller must still pay the final value fee even after cancelling the auction. As things stand, that would be $250, eBay’s maximum selling fee.

The seller’s account has been active since February 2013 but only shows feedback for one transaction, which was as a buyer.

At the time of writing, Apple had yet to comment on the listing. In 2010 Apple pursued a lost prototype of the iPhone 4G that was then sold to tech journalist Jason Chen, which led to a police raid of Chen’s home.