MCPHERSON COUNTY, Kan. — Law enforcement officials are warning residents about a scam email circulating locally that falsely claims the recipient has purchased a high-priced smartphone and urges them to call a number to cancel the charge.
The message typically states something along the lines of: “You have purchased Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max. If you did not make this purchase, call to cancel this order or your account will be charged.” The amount listed is often several thousand dollars.
According to authorities, the goal of the scam is to pressure recipients into calling the phone number provided in the email. Once on the line, the scammer pretends to be a helpful customer service representative and claims they can “fix” the issue.
That’s where the scam becomes more serious.
Investigators say victims are sometimes instructed to download new apps to their phone or computer, which allows scammers to track activity and access sensitive information. Once scammers have that access, they may begin stealing money or threatening victims with blackmail to continue extracting payments.
A McPherson County deputy recently received one of the scam emails and, having dealt with similar reports from the public in the past, decided to call the number and play along. When the scammers attempted to convince the deputy to download tracking apps, he confronted them. At that point, the polite customer service act quickly ended, and the callers began yelling, cursing, and making threats — a clear sign the operation was fraudulent.
Law enforcement stresses that anyone who receives a similar email should not call the number listed, click on attachments, or download any apps.
Instead, officials recommend contacting your bank directly and using a known, verified phone number for services like PayPal or other financial institutions to confirm whether any charges are legitimate. Once confirmed as a scam, the email should be deleted.
Authorities also remind the public never to give out personal or financial information to anyone whose identity cannot be confirmed.
“If something doesn’t feel right, trust your instincts,” officials said. “At a minimum, never share sensitive information with someone you don’t know.”