Delhi Man Duped Of Almost ?29 Lakh On Instagram Over Discounted iPhone Sale

If you're looking to buy an iPhone, the best place to start is official marketplaces. But that's not always the case, sometimes users sell their used iPhones for a discounted rate on social media platforms.

In other cases, shopping websites often offer discounts (in the form of exchange offers and credit card schemes) that allow people to buy expensive devices like the iPhone at a more reasonable price. And then there are straight up scams that promise you an iPhone at shockingly low rates, and such are the channels you ought to avoid at all costs.

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How scammers made almost ?29 lakh

A recent case from Delhi is testimony to the importance of buying gadgets from verified sources. A man from Delhi was scammed by unidentified persons on the pretence of selling an iPhone on Instagram, ANI reported. In the process, the victim, identified as Vikas Katiyar from Ghitorni, Delhi ended up losing almost ?29 lakh.

Katiyar told the police that a few days back, he stumbled upon an Instagram page that was selling iPhones at a discounted rate. The scammers went to extreme lengths to appear legit - the complainant told the police that he contacted old buyers who confirmed that the page was genuine.

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On February 6, 2023, Katiyar reached out to a number to buy the iPhone. At this point, he was asked to pay 30% of the phone cost in advance - ?28,000. Later, the alleged team of iPhone sellers began asking him for more money to clear customs and to resolve tax issues. You guessed it, they were lying!

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In total, the victim ended up transferring ?28,69,850 in multiple transactions to different accounts on the assumption that he would receive the money back. Katiyar says that the scammers are still demanding more money to deliver the phone and to issue the refund.

Also read: Scammers Are Now Scamming Fellow Scammers On Cybercrime Forums, Analysis Shows

For now, Delhi Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) and are investigating the matter. To avoid such scams, I advise against buying from unverified sources - for you could end up with a counterfeit device in exchange for a lot of money. And never send money directly to such "sellers" - the biggest red flag of all is when they continue to ask for money repeatedly to resolve your issue - or the very fact that they're selling expensive devices at shockingly low rates.

What do you think about this cautionary tale about buying devices online? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.