Is this really a 2019 Imac?

[VTown]

Like the title says...is this really a 2019 iMac that I own?
The specs I've read (from the Apple site no less) are totally different from what the 'About This Mac' says.
Also the ports on the back do not appear to be what the Apple specs say...supposed to be two USB C ports... nope, not there.
Am I missing something? Any info would be appreciated.
Thx
(bought it second hand btw)

 

[arw]

The serial number is indeed from a (valid) 2019 iMac but the case and the specs indicate a 21,5 Retina 4K late 2015 iMac.
I can‘t think of a technical reason to spoof a different model (although easily achievable with Open Core) because Monterey runs natively on this one.
If you were offered a 2019 model, I suspect malicious intent.
It comes down to the price you paid if it makes sense to try to return it.
Otherwise do a clean install from recovery and format the HDD/SSD to get rid of everything on this thing. This must include the EFI partition where likely an additional bootloader is located for faking the info you see.

Use macOS Recovery on an Intel-based Mac

Learn how to use macOS Recovery on an Intel-based Mac.

support.apple.com

If your system disk a Fusion Drive (2 physical disks: 1 small SSD and 1 larger HDD combined as one logical disk) be sure you know what/how to format.

How to fix a split Fusion Drive - Apple Support

If your Fusion Drive appears as two drives instead of one in the Finder, it's no longer working as a Fusion Drive. Here's how to fix it.

support.apple.com

 

[Rich B22]

Like the title says...is this really a 2019 iMac that I own?
The specs I've read (from the Apple site no less) are totally different from what the 'About This Mac' says.
Also the ports on the back do not appear to be what the Apple specs say...supposed to be two USB C ports... nope, not there.
Am I missing something? Any info would be appreciated.
Thx
(bought it second hand btw)

I think you need to get in touch with Apple. While the Apple website and Everymac.com, according to the serial number show it to be a 2019 21" version, the specs do not match up. They list the Core i5 unit as 3.0 GHz, while your unit is 3.1 in the photo. Those 2 ports on the right are either Thunderbolt 1 or 2 or Displayports. Apple started using Thunderbolt 3 ports in the iMac in 2017 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderbolt_(interface) , so this definitely is not a 2019.

According to Everymac.com, a Core i5 3.1 seems to be a 2015 model. https://everymac.com/ultimate-mac-lookup/?search_keywords=i5 . Follow that link and then in your browser Edit>Find enter 3.1. There's only 2 listed, the aforementioned 2015 and a 2011 27" imac.

I have no idea how someone would be able to get it to show as a 2019. Hope I'm wrong, but it sure seems like fraud; hopefully you purchased it from a reputable source and can get your money back.

Good luck!!!

 

[retta283]

Definitely a fake. I don't know where the file is located, but all of that info is likely stored in a text file somewhere in the system folder, and has been modified by a scammer to swindle a buyer. That's my guess, as I know for sure you can change the version number, so I don't see why it wouldn't be possible to spoof the About this Mac dialog.

 

[Fishrrman]

That's NOT a 2019 release iMac.
A 2019 iMac would have a couple of USBc ports on the back.
Yours has none, and has ports consistent with an earlier model.

Avoid that seller, and look somewhere else.

 

[VTown]

Well thanks for the responses. Much appreciated. There’s no chance getting the money back, thats long gone. Bought it off Craigslist about a year ago. You know, I’m no neophyte when it comes to computers, but I didn’t think it was possible to change the date like that. When I bought it, I only did a cursory glance at the back of it…wasn’t even thinking of USB C ports at the time. Just tried to make sure it ran well, no dead pixels, wireless mouse/keyboard were working, etc.
Thanks for the info on how to format. At some point I will sell it, but my conscience won’t let me sell it as a 2019 (plus fraud you know).
Btw I did a search just to find out if this is a thing, and found a dude explaining to people how to modify ‘about this computer’ if they want to…🙄

How to customize the "About This Mac" section of a Mac

The About This Mac window contains information for your computer specifications and OS version. This tutorial shows you how to customize About This Mac.

www.idownloadblog.com

 

[pshufd]

Well thanks for the responses. Much appreciated. There’s no chance getting the money back, thats long gone. Bought it off Craigslist about a year ago. You know, I’m no neophyte when it comes to computers, but I didn’t think it was possible to change the date like that. When I bought it, I only did a cursory glance at the back of it…wasn’t even thinking of USB C ports at the time. Just tried to make sure it ran well, no dead pixels, wireless mouse/keyboard were working, etc.
Thanks for the info on how to format. At some point I will sell it, but my conscience won’t let me sell it as a 2019 (plus fraud you know).
Btw I did a search just to find out if this is a thing, and found a dude explaining to people how to modify ‘about this computer’ if they want to…🙄

How to customize the "About This Mac" section of a Mac

The About This Mac window contains information for your computer specifications and OS version. This tutorial shows you how to customize About This Mac.

www.idownloadblog.com

I bring a bootable external SSD with me when I go to look at used Macs so that I can look through system settings and run DriveDX. Sometimes used Macs have the drive reformatted and no operating system so there's no way to test it without an external SSD.

I know about spoofing from doing Hacks.

 

[VTown]

Thanks for the info on buying a used Mac. I’ll definitely keep it in mind when looking at used…