A Bowling Green woman was reportedly scammed out of $3,430 by a caller questioning her immigration status.
The woman told Bowling Green Police Division Tuesday that she was contacted by “USCIS,” which claimed to oversee her immigration status. They advised her that she did not fill out the proper form, and they would arrest her if she didn`t pay them. The caller told her not to talk to anyone and to stay on the phone. They reportedly convinced her to go to Sephora and purchase 10 gift cards for $250 each for a total of $2,500.
They then reportedly told her to go to Kroger to buy two Target gift cards for $465 each for a total of $930. She gave the scammers the codes on the back of the gift cards for a total loss of $3,430.
She also purchased four Target gift cards for $490 each, but her friend then advised her it was a scam. So she did not give the code on the back of those gift cards to the scammers.
Police advised the woman to contact her bank and advise them of the incident, and to contact the credit bureau to flag her information. She was given information to contact the Ohio Attorney General`s Office to report the scam.
