Delhi Police Uncovers International Scam Masquerading as Apple Support

Major Bust of Fraudulent Call Center in Delhi

New Delhi, Dec 18: The Cyber Cell of the Delhi Police's Crime Branch has dismantled an illegal international call center based in Gujranwala Town, North Delhi, which was impersonating Apple Technical Support to scam American citizens, officials reported on Thursday.

Authorities have arrested seven key individuals involved in this operation, which was reportedly siphoning funds through cryptocurrency transactions.

As per the Delhi Police, this unauthorized call center had been functioning for approximately four months from a lavish apartment within a residential complex in Model Town. The suspects targeted individuals in the United States by posing as Apple support representatives, exploiting their trust to gain unauthorized access to their personal devices.

During the raid, law enforcement recovered seven high-end laptops, 16 mobile phones, VoIP and networking equipment, as well as documents containing sensitive banking information of US citizens.

The confiscated devices were equipped with MICRO SIP software, allowing the perpetrators to receive toll-free calls from victims in the US seeking Apple technical assistance.

According to police, the scam's methodology involved several layers. Tele-callers initially convinced victims to install remote access applications on their devices under the guise of fixing technical problems.

Once access was granted, personal and financial information was compromised. Subsequently, another group of callers impersonated bank officials or representatives from financial institutions, persuading victims to buy Bitcoin from kiosks in the US.

Victims were then manipulated into sharing their Bitcoin wallet QR codes or private keys, enabling the fraudsters to transfer the cryptocurrency into their own wallets.

The arrested individuals include Aman Singh and Janpreet Singh, who served as supervisors managing Bitcoin wallets, along with five tele-callers involved in the scam. Most of the suspects are in their early to mid-twenties, with educational backgrounds ranging from middle school to MBA.

Numerous contact details of US citizens, banking information, and cryptocurrency wallet data were retrieved from the seized devices, highlighting the extensive nature of the fraud.

Authorities suspect that the illicit proceeds were entirely laundered through Bitcoin to evade detection.

“Ongoing investigations aim to uncover additional accomplices, financial trails, and international connections,” stated DCP Aditya Gautam.