As many had suspected, the newly announced $399 foldable phone from Pablo Escobar's brother turns out to be a re-packaged Samsung Galaxy Fold covered in gold foil.

The phone, dubbed the Escobar Fold 2, comes from Roberto De Jesus Escobar Gaviria, who says he's on a mission "to destroy Apple and Samsung." However, his strategy apparently involves buying up leftover inventory of last year's Galaxy Fold and selling it back to the public at ultra-low prices.

"The Escobar Fold 2 is an overstock purchase of the Samsung Galaxy Fold. We have bought many of them from retailers and wholesalers who have been unable to sell them to their clients," Roberto wrote in a letter to a consumer, who received a Fold 2 unit.

On Wednesday, the consumer—"Caralda #DBL"—posted a YouTube video showing the letter, which was included in his order. It warns that the Fold 2 comes with no official Samsung warranty. "They (Samsung) actually hate us, and we hate Samsung as well," the document adds.

In the video, "Caralda #DBL" goes on to say the gold covering on the phone, which carries the Escobar Phone logo, appears to be pasted on with glue. A separate YouTuber, "LJP Tech," also received his Fold 2 unit today after the company told him he was among the 1,000 users selected to receive one.

Thomas Fischermann, a journalist for German newspaper Die Zeit, told PCMag he obtained a review unit of the Escobar Fold 2 as well. He confirmed the device is actually a Galaxy Fold, with no changes to the Samsung software on board. The only customization was to place a photo of Pablo Escobar as the phone's screensaver image.

"Kind of pointless to do some kind of tech review," Fischermann said on Twitter. "It's a Samsung Fold (the latest version with the fixed hinge)."

Roberto and his company claim to be sourcing the phones from the same factories in China that were producing the Galaxy Fold, which was famously delayed last year over durability issues. "Our goal is to become the overstock kings," Olof Gustafsson, CEO of Escobar Inc., told PCMag in an email. "And the way we are killing Samsung in our sense, is literally to buy more phones from the same manufacturers, and cutting out all third-party middlemen, and passing these savings onto the final end-consumer."

Nevertheless, the company's website makes no mention about the phones being re-purposed Samsung products. Instead, Escobar Inc. has been suggesting the opposite. The company recently created an ad, featuring scantily clad models destroying several Galaxy Folds with sledgehammers.

At the time, some consumers worried the whole business is a scam. Two months ago, Roberto introduced the company's first phone, the Fold 1, for a mere $349. However, many buyers who placed orders for the device say they're still waiting on their shipments.

(Credit: Escobarscam.com)

In the meantime, Escobar Inc. has only sent a book and a pamphlet, promising buyers they'll be upgraded to the Fold 2 in March. One consumer also told PCMag he tried to cancel his order, which was placed on Dec. 4, but was instead told by the company to wait for his shipment, which has yet to arrive. Another buyer has even created the website Escobarscam.com to warn consumers to stay away from the company's phones.

We'll have to wait and see if Roberto can come through on his promise for the remaining customers. His company told PCMag it has access to "easily over 200,000" Galaxy Fold units. But at the same time, buyers are taking the word of a notorious drug lord's brother.

"Fact is, I honestly don't know if this is a scam," said Fischermann, who covers the drug cartels in Latin America. "It may be, but it may as well all be true and they have logistical problems."

"Maybe they'll start deliveries, maybe not," he added. "Pablo Escobar, who is their big hero, was a big criminal, but he always delivered the wares."

Samsung has not responded to a request for comment.

If you've received an Escobar foldable phone let us know at michael_kan@pcmag.com.

Further Reading

• Report: Apple Designing In-House 5G iPhone Antenna Module
• Report: LG and Samsung Are Developing Portable Displays for Phones
• Motorola Razr vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip: Which Is the Finest Foldable Phone?
• Want to Buy a Galaxy Z Flip on Feb. 14? Try a Sprint Store
• More in Mobile Phones

More Mobile Phone Reviews

• Motorola Razr (2020)
• ZTE Blade 10 Prime
• ZTE Blade A7 Prime
• Samsung Galaxy A50
• Skyroam Solis X

More Mobile Phone Best Picks

• The Best Bluetooth Headsets for 2020
• The Best Phones for 2020
• The Best Mobile Hotspots for 2020
• The Best Unlocked Phones for 2020
• The Best Android Phones for 2020