Shawna Perdue, a resident of Wichita, Kansas, recently endured a horrifying ordeal after falling victim to a sophisticated scam that initially involved a text message falsely claiming to be from “Apple Security,” which ultimately cost her over $5,500. The scammers went as far as impersonating Apple to carry out their scheme.
The Scam Unfolds
The scam began with a distressing text message about a $143.95 purchase made using her Apple ID. The message urged her to secure her account by calling a provided number. Shawna, intending to safeguard her information, dialed the number and was greeted by a so-called “agent” who warned her that a group of hackers was about to drain her bank account. The man, quite persuasive, told her that the only way to protect her funds was to transfer her money to a Venmo card and then purchase gift cards.
Following the instructions, she ended up buying $3,500 in Home Depot gift cards and $500 in Apple gift cards, then passed the card numbers to the fraudster. Once the transfer was made, all her money vanished. She only realized she had been scammed after noticing the transactions on her bank statements.
Community Support
Her daughter, Rhonda Chadwick, took action by starting a GoFundMe campaign to help recover the financial loss. Thanks to the generosity of contributors, they have already raised $4,840. While it’s not the full amount lost, the support has restored a bit of hope to Shawna, who still feels “stupid and violated” from the incident.
Rhonda mentioned on the GoFundMe page that the scam deeply affected her mother’s spirits, a woman known for her strength and independence. Yet, she is thankful for the support: “You are helping my mother regain her faith in humanity, and that’s priceless.”
Prevention is Better Than Cure
These scams exploit urgency and panic, which is where victims often let their guard down. The main advice is to ignore these suspicious SMS messages and calls. If you receive such alerts, do not react immediately; instead, verify directly with Apple or your bank using their official numbers (those on your bank cards, not those found via Google).
And importantly, spread the word. If someone you know is not tech-savvy, take the time to explain how these scam mechanisms work. On tech websites like Mac4Ever, we’re often the “tech support” for our families, so let’s also educate them about these types of scams! Always be wary of messages that convey a sense of urgency, and if you’re asked to buy gift cards to solve a problem, run the other way.