A Bellefontaine woman is out $500 after falling victim to a phone scam involving people posing as representatives from major companies and a federal agency.
According to the Bellefontaine Police Department, the victim reported receiving a call from someone claiming to be with Apple regarding the purchase of an iPhone 16.
The caller, who identified himself as “Brian Morgan,” provided a case number before transferring her to another person posing as a bank representative.
That individual then claimed there was illegal content connected to her phone and transferred her again—this time to someone claiming to be with the Federal Trade Commission.
The final caller told the victim she needed to pay $500 in Apple gift cards to resolve the issue.
Police say the woman went to Kroger, purchased the gift cards, and sent the codes to the suspect via text message.
After realizing what had happened, the victim reported the incident and placed a fraud alert on her bank account.
She also plans to close the account and open a new one as a precaution.
Officers reminded the public that no legitimate business or government agency will ever ask for payment using gift cards.
The incident remains under investigation.
