ONEIDA — A man and woman have been charged with attempting to scam people in the City of Oneida with fake iPhones and fake Apple AirPods, according to the Oneida Police Department.

On Wednesday, police said they were alerted to a man and woman in a black SUV in the parking lot of the Oneida Walmart at 2024 Genesee St., attempting to sell fake AirPods in exchange for gas money. The vehicle left the parking lot and was pulled over on state Route 5 by the Madison County Sheriff's Office.

Fake gold necklaces and rings, along with multiple fake iPhones and AirPods, were found in the vehicle, police said.. Each of the counterfeit Apple products had the same serial numbers on them. The couple also had a large sum of money and ID from the State of Washington and Romania, police stated.

The pair, Ionut Mustata, 27, and Frasineanu Rodica-Ioana, 22, both admitted to trying to sell the knowingly fake objects, police said. Both have been charged with attempted petty larceny and soliciting without a license, authorities stated. They were issued appearance tickets for Oneida City Court.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was also notified about the pair and their activity.

Police said there was evidence in the vehicle that the pair had come from Rome and were heading to the Walmart in East Syracuse. Police said there was also evidence that they had been in Florida, Nebraska, Washington and California.

The authorities noted that the pair were similar to a recent scam reported at the Walmart in Rome on Feb. 8. That connection remains under investigation.