Apple terminates 185 employees over fraudulent use of Matching Grants programme

Tech giant Apple has reportedly terminated 185 employees at its Cupertino headquarters following an investigation into fraudulent activity involving its charitable Matching Grants programme, according to India Today.

The alleged scheme involved employees collaborating with non-profit organisations, including some linked to the Indian community, to falsify donations. These falsified contributions allowed individuals to increase their compensation by pocketing Apple’s matching funds.

As reported by NBC, the Los Angeles district attorney’s office found employees misusing Apple’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme. This initiative matches employees' donations to approved non-profits. In the alleged scheme, employees pretended to donate money to charities, which then returned the original amount to them. Meanwhile, the employees kept Apple’s matching contributions for themselves.


The alleged fraud centred around two non-profits: the American Chinese International Cultural Exchange (ACICE) and Hop4Kids.

While Apple has not released an official statement, the district attorney’s office confirmed that the investigation is ongoing.