Apple refuses to give customer refund unless he proves he is not Saddam Hussein

Sharakat Hussain says he 'thought the email was spam'

Apple apologised sincerely for mistaking Mr Hussain for the deceased Iraqi president (Getty)

Apple has apologised to a customer they refused to give a refund to unless he could prove he was not Saddam Hussein.

Sharakat Hussain, a 26-year-old from Birmingham, bought a £799 iPhone 7 for his sister but decided to return it a month later.

He was told he’d receive a refund but, instead, a few weeks later he recieved an email asking him to prove he was not the deceased Iraqi dictator.

“I thought the email was spam, I was stunned to learn it was real. I was furious to be linked to Saddam,” Mr Hussain told The Sun.

Mr Hussain, who works as a driver, was informed that due to his surname he was on a Government’s Denied Parties list – which means he wasn’t allowed to be sold an iPhone.

The process was triggered by a requirement to check large refunds against the international sanctions list but a human error resulted in Mr Hussain being mistaken for the former president of Iraq.

An Apple spokesperson told The Independent: "We offer our sincerest apologies to Mr Hussain. Though we are required to check identity while processing a refund, the letter he received was an error and should not have been sent."

The tech giant has reportedly agreed to sort out the refund for Mr Hussain as soon as possible.