Township resident scammed out of $40,000

Bloomfield Township police are warning the public of a fraudulent ruse that recently tricked a resident out of about $40,000 over a three-day period. Bloomfield Townhip Police Lt. Paul Schwab, of the department's investigations division, said the victim made investigators aware of incident about 11 p.m. on Sunday, October 20, when he came into the Bloomfield Township Police Station. The victim said he received a phone call from a female who identified herself as "Kate" with "Apple Support." The victim said the woman told him there was a discrepancy with the victim's Apple account information, and was instructed to purchase gift cards in order to clear up the problem. The victim was told he would be reimbursed for any purchases he made. Between October 17 and October 20, the victim purchased about $40,000 worth of gift cards. He was advised to send the verification codes on the back of the cards to the representative via email and text. "These swindles are extremely popular and the Bloomfield Township police would like to remind the public that no legitimate business/service will request payment in the form of gift cards," Schwab said. The case is under investigation.