{"id":27272,"date":"2026-09-22T09:26:41","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T09:26:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=27272"},"modified":"2026-09-22T09:26:41","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T09:26:41","slug":"gurgaon-scam-fake-apple-centre-in-gurgaon-shortlisted-elderly-in-us-scared-them-into-paying-up-to-20k-gurgaon-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=27272","title":{"rendered":"Gurgaon Scam: Fake Apple centre in Gurgaon \u2018shortlisted\u2019 elderly in US, scared them into paying up to $20k | Gurgaon News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-134400442,imgsize-1330179,width-400,height-225,resizemode-75\/elderly-us-citizens-were-targeted-with-fake-privacy-and-virus-warnings-representative-image-generated-using-ai.jpg\" alt=\"Fake Apple centre in Gurgaon \u2018shortlisted\u2019 elderly in US, scared them into paying up to $20k\" title=\"Elderly US citizens were targeted with fake privacy and virus warnings (Representative image generated using AI)\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"Elderly US citizens were targeted with fake privacy and virus warnings (Representative image generated using AI)\">Elderly US citizens were targeted with fake privacy and virus warnings (Representative image generated using AI)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>GURGAON: The sham Apple service centre busted in Palam Vihar on Sept 1 did not wait for victims to call. Its operator first screened targets in the US, checked whether they were above 60 and had substantial bank balances, and sent warning messages about privacy, virus or technical problems in their iPhones.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"2\"\/>The elderly victims, with little technical knowhow, were then funnelled into calls where impersonators invoked a bogus Federal Trade Commission (FTC) notice and demanded $10,000 to $20,000 to fix the issues \u2014 amounts far exceeding the price of a brand new iPhone.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"4\"\/>The operation allegedly began with messages routed through a server controlled by Jai Kakkar, a Delhi resident who police have identified as its operator.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"8\"\/><\/p>\n<div data-pos=\"0\" class=\"id-r-component iIpbx undefined  &#10;        \">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Fake Apple centre in Gurgaon \u2018shortlisted\u2019 elderly in US\" msid=\"134400363\" imgsize=\"288050\" resizemode=\"4\" width=\"\" title=\"Fake Apple centre in Gurgaon \u2018shortlisted\u2019 elderly in US\" placeholdersrc=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/83033472.cms\" offsetvertical=\"0\" placeholdermsid=\"47529300\" type=\"thumb\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/imgsize-288050,msid-134400363\/fake-apple-centre-in-gurgaon-shortlisted-elderly-in-us.jpg\" data-api-prerender=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Fake Apple centre in Gurgaon \u2018shortlisted\u2019 elderly in US<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"10\"\/>The messages directed recipients to a toll-free number connected to the Palam Vihar call centre. Police have so far traced transactions worth $200,000 (around Rs 2 crore), which was fleeced from 15 US citizens allegedly targeted over eight to 10 days.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"12\"\/>The scam then involved two stages. A less experienced caller first posed as an Apple customer care executive, telling the victim that their device had a problem.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"14\"\/>Once the victim was convinced, the call was transferred to a senior posing as a banker. The second caller allegedly produced a fake FTC notice and used the threat to demand payment.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"18\"\/>\u201cThe first caller, who would often be less experienced, would establish contact by posing as an Apple executive.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"20\"\/>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,\u201d an officer said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"22\"\/>Police said victims were asked to transfer the money to a foreign bank account. <!-- -->In some cases, they allegedly obtained gift card or voucher numbers. Callers at the centre received commissions of 11% to 16% for each successful scam.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"26\"\/>The profiling was central to the operation. \u201cThe gang checked if potential targets were senior citizens and had substantial bank balances. The elderly usually have less technical knowledge,\u201d a senior officer said. Police are still trying to establish the source of the database and how the accused obtained such information.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"29\"\/>Police said an examination of laptops seized from the centre showed the initial messages were routed through the operator\u2019s server.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"31\"\/>One laptop contained data from the previous 10 days, while other details had been erased or shifted elsewhere. \u201cAn average of 40 calls were made on a daily basis,\u201d an officer said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"34\"\/>The bogus service centre had come up in a house in J block of Palam Vihar. A 14-member team under ACP (cyber) Gaurav Fogat and SHO (Cyber West) Sombir arrested 11 persons and seized nine laptops, 20 mobile phones, two headphone-and-mic sets, two cars, a motorcycle and a scooter.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"37\"\/>Police said X-Lite Dialler and Apple FaceTime were used to communicate with victims.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"39\"\/>Kakkar is yet to be traced. Police searched his Model Town house but did not find him. \u201cThe source would be unearthed once Kakkar is arrested.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"41\"\/>Teams are working to trace him and the money trail,\u201d a police source said. Police are also checking his alleged role in an earlier Delhi cheating case and alleged links to other cybercrime operations.<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/city\/gurgaon\/fake-apple-centre-in-gurgaon-shortlisted-elderly-in-us-scared-them-into-paying-up-to-20k\/articleshow\/134396712.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Elderly US citizens were targeted with fake privacy and virus warnings (Representative image generated using AI) GURGAON: The sham Apple service centre busted in Palam Vihar on Sept 1 did not wait for victims to call. Its operator first screened targets in the US, checked whether they were above 60 and had substantial bank balances, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27273,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27272","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/elderly-us-citizens-were-targeted-with-fake-privacy-and-virus-warnings-representative-image-generate-150x150.avif","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/elderly-us-citizens-were-targeted-with-fake-privacy-and-virus-warnings-representative-image-generate-300x169.avif","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/elderly-us-citizens-were-targeted-with-fake-privacy-and-virus-warnings-representative-image-generate.avif","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/elderly-us-citizens-were-targeted-with-fake-privacy-and-virus-warnings-representative-image-generate.avif","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/elderly-us-citizens-were-targeted-with-fake-privacy-and-virus-warnings-representative-image-generate.avif","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/elderly-us-citizens-were-targeted-with-fake-privacy-and-virus-warnings-representative-image-generate.avif","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/elderly-us-citizens-were-targeted-with-fake-privacy-and-virus-warnings-representative-image-generate.avif","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/elderly-us-citizens-were-targeted-with-fake-privacy-and-virus-warnings-representative-image-generate.avif","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/elderly-us-citizens-were-targeted-with-fake-privacy-and-virus-warnings-representative-image-generate.avif","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/elderly-us-citizens-were-targeted-with-fake-privacy-and-virus-warnings-representative-image-generate.avif","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/elderly-us-citizens-were-targeted-with-fake-privacy-and-virus-warnings-representative-image-generate.avif","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/elderly-us-citizens-were-targeted-with-fake-privacy-and-virus-warnings-representative-image-generate.avif","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/elderly-us-citizens-were-targeted-with-fake-privacy-and-virus-warnings-representative-image-generate.avif","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/elderly-us-citizens-were-targeted-with-fake-privacy-and-virus-warnings-representative-image-generate.avif"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"Elderly US citizens were targeted with fake privacy and virus warnings (Representative image generated using AI) GURGAON: The sham Apple service centre busted in Palam Vihar on Sept 1 did not wait for victims to call. Its operator first screened targets in the US, checked whether they were above 60 and had substantial bank balances, [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":1,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":3,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/elderly-us-citizens-were-targeted-with-fake-privacy-and-virus-warnings-representative-image-generate.avif",400,225,false],"medium":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/elderly-us-citizens-were-targeted-with-fake-privacy-and-virus-warnings-representative-image-generate-300x169.avif",300,169,true],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/elderly-us-citizens-were-targeted-with-fake-privacy-and-virus-warnings-representative-image-generate-150x150.avif",150,150,true]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/author\/admin"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link category-link-31\">\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27272","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=27272"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27272\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/27273"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=27272"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=27272"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=27272"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}