Thousands of Iranians were defrauded out of $35 million in a scam that offered half-price iPhones backed by celebrity endorsements. Apple itself does not do business in Iran due to U.S. sanctions, but there are companies in the country that engage in parallel imports that buy iPhones, sometimes individually and sometimes in bulk. One company claiming to be in the business is Tehran-based Kourosh, which also says it sells iPhones for $700.
For months, store owner Amir Hossein Sharifian used high-profile endorsements from Iranian celebrities to boost sales, the Financial Times reported. In each case, buyers were told to wait 45 days to receive their iPhones, but then heard nothing from them.
Subsequently, protesters held a demonstration at the Tehran police headquarters, demanding action against the Kourosh company. But at the same time, Sharifian reportedly left Iran several months ago.
Iranian police announced that they had now found Sharifian. While they did not report his location, they said they would extradite him back to Iran through Interpol.
Sherifian claimed that he only owed clients the equivalent of about $2.7 million.
According to local media reports, Apple has imported about $1 billion worth of iPhones in the past 10 months, and even the reported $35 million is only a fraction of that. However, once purchased, buyers will have to face Apple's restrictions on related support and services in the region.