KSHB 41 News reporter Lauren Schwentker covers stories in Platte and Clay counties. Have a story idea? Send her an email.
—
A Clay County man in his 60s received an iPhone 17 Pro Max at his front door that he never ordered. He then started getting calls from people claiming to be with Verizon Wireless, demanding he ship it back, according to the Clay County Sheriff's Office.
Investigators say someone obtained the man's debit card information and used it to send him the phone. The callers, who were not actually with Verizon, were attempting to get the man to return the device so they could keep it.
Sarah Boyd, public information officer with the Clay County Sheriff's Office, said the man was unsettled by the situation and chose not to go on camera.
"He said the calls were pretty relentless," Boyd said. "Somebody along the way got his debit card information and sent him this phone. They were planning on getting the phone and then keeping it for themselves."
Boyd took to Facebook to warn others about the scam. After seeing that post, KSHB 41 Northland reporter Lauren Schwentker began digging for more information, reaching out to people in the comments and to Verizon Wireless.
Several commenters said they had experienced something similar. Jennifer Hull, a Clay County resident who commented on the post, said she received aggressive texts and voicemails claiming she would be charged for an iPhone.
"I received both a text message and a voicemail with the same messaging," Hull said. "Receiving both communications did make me pause."
Hull said Verizon is her phone provider, and she did recently get a new iPhone. However, she recognized it as a scam and reported the number.
Verizon Wireless provided this statement about the scam:
"Verizon takes the security of customer accounts very seriously and our team is looking into it. We always advise the public to contact us directly anytime a situation seems questionable."
Boyd said the Clay County man handled the situation correctly, and she urges anyone who encounters something similar to follow his lead.
"This person was thankfully savvy enough to call the bank, call the phone company and call police," Boyd said.
Boyd noted that while commenters on the department's social media post said it had happened to them or someone they knew, this was the first formal report of this type of scam the department had received.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
—
