The bogus Apple service centre uncovered in Palam Vihar on September 1 wasn't a reactive scam, it proactively hunted its victims. The operator first identified targets in the US, specifically screening for people above 60 years old with significant bank balances, before sending them alarming messages about privacy breaches, viruses or technical glitches supposedly affecting their iPhones. These elderly targets, often unfamiliar with technology, were then drawn into phone calls where fraudsters cited a fake Federal Trade Commission (FTC) notice and demanded sums between $10,000 and $20,000 to resolve the fabricated issues, figures well above what a new iPhone would cost.
How the Scam Was Set Up
The operation is alleged to have originated with messages sent through a server controlled by Jai Kakkar, a Delhi resident identified by police as the operator behind the racket. These messages pointed victims to a toll-free number linked to the call centre operating out of Palam Vihar. Investigators have so far tracked transactions amounting to $200,000 (roughly Rs 2 crore), siphoned from 15 US citizens allegedly targeted over an eight-to-ten-day window.
A Two-Step Con
The fraud unfolded in two stages. Initially, a junior caller would pose as an Apple support representative, informing the victim of a supposed device malfunction. Once trust was established, the call was handed off to a more senior fraudster posing as a bank official. This second caller would then present the fake FTC notice and pressure the victim into paying up. An officer explained, "The first caller, who would often be less experienced, would establish contact by posing as an Apple executive. Once the victim was convinced, the call was transferred to a caller posing as a banker, who would introduce the fake FTC notice and make the payment demand."
Victims were reportedly instructed to wire funds to an overseas bank account, and in certain instances, the scammers allegedly collected gift card or voucher codes instead. Callers earned commissions ranging from 11% to 16% on every successful scam they pulled off.
Targeting the Elderly Was Deliberate
Victim profiling formed the backbone of the scheme. A senior officer noted, "The gang checked if potential targets were senior citizens and had substantial bank balances. The elderly usually have less technical knowledge." Police are still working to determine where the gang sourced its victim database and how such personal information was accessed.
Evidence From Seized Laptops
A review of laptops recovered from the centre revealed that the initial scam messages were routed through the operator's server. While one laptop held ten days' worth of data, other records appeared to have been deleted or moved elsewhere. According to an officer, "An average of 40 calls were made on a daily basis."
The Raid and Arrests
The fraudulent service centre had been set up inside a house in Palam Vihar's J block. A 14-member police team, led by ACP (cyber) Gaurav Fogat and SHO (Cyber West) Sombir, arrested 11 individuals and confiscated nine laptops, 20 mobile phones, two headphone-and-mic sets, two cars, a motorcycle and a scooter. Investigators said the accused communicated with victims using X-Lite Dialler and Apple FaceTime.
Main Accused Still Untraced
Kakkar remains untraced. A police search of his residence in Model Town failed to locate him. A police source said, "The source would be unearthed once Kakkar is arrested. Teams are working to trace him and the money trail." Authorities are also examining whether he was involved in an earlier cheating case in Delhi and probing his possible connections to other cybercrime networks.
[With TOI inputs]
