[Apple impostor pays back $1.2 million after stealing NFTs, cryptocurrencies]
Amir Hossein Golshan, a Los Angeles man, was sentenced to eight years in prison by the U.S. Department of Justice and ordered to pay $1.2 million in restitution to victims for impersonating Apple support staff and stealing NFTs and cryptocurrencies. Golshan conducted multiple online frauds between April 2019 and February 2023, making approximately $740,000 in profit, which attracted the attention of the FBI.
His main fraud methods include posing as an Apple support staff, using Apple's official support line number to gain the victim's trust, and then induce them to provide a two-step verification code, and then log in to their iCloud account to commit theft. Among them, he stole NFT worth US$319,000 and US$70,000 in cryptocurrency from one victim, and later sold the NFT to obtain US$130,000 in cryptocurrency, defrauding five victims in total.
In addition, Golshan also used SIM card swapping to take over Instagram accounts, tricked followers into sending money, and threatened to delete the accounts for ransom. He defrauded approximately 500 victims and made $82,000 by defrauding the Zelle payment method and failing to provide promised services.
The judge described Golshan's actions as showing "malicious cruelty" that left the victim in a state of constant fear and worry. Prosecutors noted that Golshan showed a lack of remorse for his victims and that his crimes showed a profound disrespect for the law and human dignity. Golshan pleaded guilty on July 19 to multiple counts, including wire fraud, accessing a computer to commit fraud and obtaining information, and was ordered to pay more than $1.2 million in restitution.