Fake Apple tech-support call centre targeting US citizens busted in Delhi, 7 arrested

Delhi Police has busted a fake Apple technical-support call centre allegedly targeting US citizens through fraudulent calls and gift-card scams, arresting seven people, including its owner and partner, from Naraina Industrial Area, an official said on Wednesday.

“The accused were allegedly running the operation under the name “Veptra” from a premises in Naraina Industrial Area Phase-II,” police said in a statement.

The police recovered five laptops, 12 mobile phones, 10 credit/debit cards, five cheque books and an Audi car f from the seven arrested accused — Arun, Salim, Nikhil, Montu Singh, Karan, Vishal and another 26-year-old man.

After receiving specific information on September 25, a team raided the premises and apprehended the call centre owner Arun, 29, his partner Salim, 28, and five callers.

The callers were communicating with people in the US under assumed English names. A case was registered at Naraina police station on September 26, it read.

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According to preliminary investigation, the accused allegedly posed as Apple/iOS technical-support executives and contacted US residents through toll-free numbers, they said.

They told victims that their devices or systems had detected viruses, malware or pornographic content and created a sense of urgency by offering immediate technical assistance, they said.

The victims were then allegedly persuaded to purchase gift cards to resolve the purported technical problems. The accused obtained the gift-card details or codes and passed them on to others associated with the operation, the statement read.

The police are probing the source of the toll-free numbers, gift-card transactions, money trail and the wider network, they said.