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

Delhi Police have busted a fake Apple/iOS technical support call centre operating in the Naraina Industrial Area. Police said fake calls and a gift card scam were being used from the premises to target US citizens. Seven people have been arrested. Police suspect the network extends to other parts of Delhi.

Sub-Inspector Gajender Mathur received a tip-off on September 25. Acting on it, a team of the Anti-Auto Theft Squad of West District raided a suspected international tech support call centre operating under the name Weptra in the Naraina Industrial Area. In the raid, the alleged owner of the call centre, Arun, his partner Salim and five callers were arrested. Police said the callers used laptops and headphones to speak to US citizens and gave false English names.

Following the operation, an FIR was registered at Naraina police station on September 26. It was filed under Sections 318(4), 319(2), 61(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66D of the Information Technology Act.

The initial investigation found that the accused ran a fake Apple/iOS technical support set-up to target people in the US. They allegedly contacted people living in the US through a toll-free number and posed as Apple technical support executives. The callers told people that a virus, malware or pornographic content had been found on their device or system. Users of Apple phones were then told they urgently needed technical help.

Victims were then persuaded to buy gift cards on the pretext of fixing the alleged technical problem. The callers took the gift card details or codes from the victims and passed them on to other members of their team. In a preliminary examination of the seized items, police found software such as IBM, UltraViewer and AnyDesk installed. Call histories of US numbers were also recovered.

According to police, five laptops, 12 mobile phones, two routers, six headphones, 10 credit/debit cards, five cheque books and an Audi A3 35 TDI car were seized in the operation.

Arun (29) and Salim (28) are residents of Kakrola. Also among those arrested are Nikhil (30) of Kakrola, Montu Singh (34) of Pitampura, Tirhuchu (26) of Kishangarh, Karan (28) of Uttam Nagar and Vishal (29) of Sagarpur.

Police said further investigation is under way. It includes tracing the larger network, finding the source of the toll-free number, identifying the people who were contacted and examining the gift card transactions. Analysis of the seized digital evidence and gathering details of money transfers are also continuing.