The Latest Scams Reported to YCSO: Romance, Sweepstakes, Apple, PayPal

Published on July 16, 2025

YCSO fielded more than 50 calls for "fraud" in the past six weeks (since June 1), including a romance scam that lasted nearly 3 years, as county residents continue to lose big money to these criminals.

The "sweetheart" scam cost a Village of Oak Creek resident in her 80s an estimated $125,000 since 2023. It was discovered by a relative, and included thousands of emails from the scammer, posing as a man who wanted to move the victim to another state so they could enjoy life together. Over the course of the scam, he asked for multiple payments for various things, including rent and legal expenses, and convinced the victim to send him dozens of high-dollar Apple gift cards.

The "bank account fraud" scam is still alive and well, but it has a new twist. Recent reports included some where the con job began with a computer popup claiming Microsoft had discovered a virus on the device. The victims were given a number to call to be connected to "tech support" and then were instructed to download "Ultra-Viewer", which gave the 'expert' (the scammer) remote access to the computer to fix it. The "tech" then said he found evidence the victim's bank account had been compromised and connected them with someone from their bank's "fraud department", which instructed them to transfer funds to a "safe" account at a different bank, send large amounts of cash by UPS to an out-of-state address, or even buy retail gift cards at multiple local stores and reveal the number and PIN information. Two Verde Valley victims in their 80s lost about $50,000, and a Prescott senior citizen lost nearly $15,000.

In addition, a 78-year-old in Prescott Valley lost $55,000 after getting a "bank fraud" call and text messages directing her to send cash out of state and also to make multiple local deposits at a different bank to protect her funds.

And the Publisher's Clearinghouse sweepstakes scam cost another elderly Verde Valley resident $80,000 in gift cards and cash. He was told through social media he had won $1 million and a new car but had to pay fees and taxes up front.

Other recent scams:

Lots of calls claiming to be YCSO, asking for bond money for missed grand jury duty or some court warrant, and threatening arrest. Gift cards, Bitcoin, and cash apps were the preferred methods of payment.

Several scams asking if large charges to PayPal or Apple accounts were valid and then providing a number to call to "fix" unauthorized purchases. One scammer even told a victim she was under investigation for international money laundering and could help herself by giving him her personal information. Another scam artist gained remote computer access and then showed the victim a large (but fake) deposit had accidentally been made into his bank account, instructing him to withdraw that much and put it into a digital wallet at a local Bitcoin ATM.

And one Verde Valley senior thought she was getting an email from her pastor asking her to buy several gift cards for medical supplies. She did and e-mailed the numbers and PINs back, only to later find out it was a scammer pretending to be the church official.

Once again, YCSO is asking everyone to avoid answering any unsolicited contact (phone call, text, email, social media), and to never send any payment to someone you do not know and have never met in person, especially by unconventional means like gift cards or cryptocurrency. Always verify claims on your own with a trusted phone number you look up. And if you have loved ones or close friends who are senior citizens, please share all of our scam information with them so they can know how these criminals operate and how to protect themselves.

To report any scam attempts, call us at (928) 771-3260 or (928) 771-3299. In addition, please report any online scams to the FBI at www.ic3.gov.