According to Indian media reports, including the Hindustan Times, the Indian police reported on September 30 that Delhi police uncovered a counterfeit Apple iOS technical support phone scam operation in the Nairnagar Industrial Zone, arresting seven suspects. The gang carried out crimes against American citizens through phone scams and gift card fraud.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspect created a fake Apple iOS technical support website, targeting American victims specifically. The suspect contacted American residents via a free hotline, pretending to be an Apple technical support representative.
The operator informed the victim that their device or system had detected viruses, malware, or pornographic content, and claimed that immediate technical assistance was required to create a sense of urgency.
They tricked the victims into buying gift cards, claiming that this would solve the so-called technical problems. Then they obtained the information and passwords of the gift cards, and handed them over to other members of the criminal network.
The police conducted a preliminary examination of the seized laptops and found that the devices were equipped with various remote control software. Additionally, call records containing American phone numbers were recovered.
The police said that the case is still under further investigation. They will dig deeper into the entire criminal network, clarify the origin of the free hotline number, verify the call recipients, examine the transaction records of gift cards, analyze the electronic evidence seized, and track the flow of funds.
The investigators will also clarify the specific roles each suspect plays in the case, and pursue other individuals involved in the matter.
