Chicago bus driver falls victim to sophisticated scam that cost Americans $1.5B in a single year. Here’s how it works

“They told me I could save half on my bill if I opened a new line and got a new phone,” Lewis told CBS News Chicago. (1)

Instead, what followed was a sophisticated scam that nearly left him responsible for thousands of dollars in devices he never intended to buy.

How the fraud unfolded

The scammers walked Lewis through the process of ordering a new phone through the AT&T app already installed on his device.

To finalize the order, he only needed to pay the sales tax – about $98, charged to his credit card. That seemed like a reasonable requirement for a “free” phone. When it came time to activate the phone a few days later, Lewis was told he needed to contact the customer service agents again to receive the promised discount. They also asked for the device’s serial number, and after placing him on hold, claimed there had been a mix-up and that the phone belonged to another customer. Their solution: ship it back using a prepaid label they provided.

Lewis followed the instructions and mailed the phone to an address in California. Soon afterward, he was told he would receive a refund and could select two replacement devices as compensation for the inconvenience.

He ordered another iPhone and an iPad through the app, again guided by the fraudsters. When those devices arrived, they also couldn’t be activated. Once again, he was instructed to send them back.

At that point, Lewis realized something wasn’t right. “I'm just a bus driver who someone tried to take advantage of," he told CBS News Chicago.

Lewis said he filed multiple fraud claims with AT&T, but because he had technically placed the original phone order himself, he was initially held responsible for the bill. He was eventually able to return the second iPhone and the iPad to an AT&T store, which refunded the cost of the devices and the taxes. The company told the news outlet that it was working with Lewis to resolve the cost of the phone he’d initially bought.

Why tech-support scams are exploding

The FBI classifies this type of scheme as tech or customer support fraud, and it’s become one of the most expensive scams in the country. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, 36,002 complaints were filed nationwide in 2024 (2). The losses totaled nearly $1.5 billion, making it the third most costly scam category that year.

These con jobs often begin with robocalls, fake emails or text messages impersonating trusted companies such as telecom providers or tech firms. Scammers increasingly rely on stolen personal information to make their pitches more convincing, as data breaches give criminals access to names, phone numbers, addresses and other details that make impersonation easier.

"They're going to be able to convince you they're whoever they're impersonating," Alex Quilici, CEO of robocall-blocking company YouMail, told CBS News Chicago.

Protecting yourself from phone scams

Scams like these often work because they combine urgency, familiarity and a tempting offer – warning signs consumers should watch for.

First, be skeptical of unsolicited calls offering discounts, refunds or prizes, even if the caller claims to represent a company you use. Second, never follow instructions from a caller that require you to purchase or ship devices, gift cards or other items as part of a supposed promotion or refund.