Hello, is there a way to tell if the Mega 2560 sold in a small local electronics store real or fake without opening the box?
There is also another store selling it. For strange reason, they sell Adafruit and Sparkfun products but they replaced the original packaging with their own packaging (a package bag with their own company logo). Anybody knows what is going on? I am a bit hesitated to buy Arduino board from this store even it is cheaper.
Until you open the box, it is both real and fake.
Pete
If it's in an official looking Arduino box that's already a good sign that it's real. I've never seen a counterfeit that bothered to also copy the Arduino box. It's very easy for them to put the Arduino logo on the board. It's a little more work and expense to also copy the box so most wouldn't bother.
Do you mean "fake", or "clone".
A fake would be a board pretending to be a genuine Arduino board with all the appropriate Arduino trade-marks and logos.
Clones are boards built to the same design as an Arduino board but clearly showing that they are made by someone else. Clones are perfectly legal.
...R
"Until you open the box, it is both real and fake."
Meow 
LOL
Pete
"Until you open the box, it is both real and fake."
Meow
I thought the same thing. Very clever.
Please take a bow Pete.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much.
Pete