Did you finally get rid of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 ticking time bomb? Perhaps switched sides, assuming the iPhone 7 is safer to use… until proven otherwise? That may be so, but don’t even think about skimping on a backup or replacement charger.

Dirt-cheap, possibly counterfeit Apple adapters and charging accessories in general pose a far greater risk than a faulty, twice recalled and ultimately discontinued phone of randomly catching fire and costing you your home, life, or the life of a loved one.

We understand the temptation of going an alternative route is strong when Cupertino asks as much as $100 for an “authorized” Belkin iPhone “charge kit”, or $19 on a first-party USB power adapter, but you’ll just have to resist the bargain-hunting lure.

The findings of a recent “operation” conducted by British safety investigators are troublesome, to say the least, with no less than 397 of 400 Apple chargers suspected to be forged failing a “basic” test.

Mind you, these adapters were bought online from “multiple sources” in eight different countries around the world, including the US, Canada, Colombia, China, Thailand and Australia. 99 percent of all sketchy-looking accessories were rapidly determined to have “insufficient isolation with potential for electric shock.”

A separate examination of local “charity shops, antique dealers and second-hand shops” concluded 15 percent of over 3,000 used electrical goods were “non-compliant”, which is a slightly less shocking number, but still thought-provoking. At the end of the day, a few bucks saved here and there are simply not worth the risks.

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