A 75-year-old Cleveland man was trying to buy Apple gift cards for people he did not really know when a Westlake police officer found him waiting at a bus stop in dangerous heat, according to local reports.
Cleveland 19 reported that the officer noticed the man around 3:28 a.m. Thursday at a bus stop near Hilliard Road and Crocker Road. Police said the man had taken three buses to get there and was struggling with the heat.
The man told police he was trying to buy Apple gift cards for a friend. The officer recognized warning signs of a scam, and the man later admitted that he did not really know the people who were telling him to buy the cards.
Apple Store employees had already refused to sell him the gift cards and told him he was being defrauded, according to Cleveland 19. The man was later taken to University Hospitals St. John Medical Center for heat-related symptoms.
Apple Store Employees Had Already Refused The Sale
The store refusal likely stopped the financial loss before it happened. In many gift card scams, the money disappears after the victim buys the cards, scratches off the back, and gives the redemption codes to a caller or online contact.
While waiting for EMS, the Westlake officer had the man sit in the police cruiser to cool down, according to the report. No suspect was named in the available reports, and police did not announce an arrest.
The Heat Made The Errand More Dangerous
The scam attempt unfolded during extreme heat in Northeast Ohio, where Cleveland 19 reported that temperatures reached triple digits in some areas Thursday. The man had taken three buses and was waiting outside early in the morning while following instructions connected to the gift card request.
The CDC says people 65 and older are more prone to heat-related health problems. The National Weather Service lists heavy sweating, weakness or tiredness, dizziness, nausea, headache, muscle cramps, and fainting among heat exhaustion symptoms.
The National Weather Service advises moving a person with heat exhaustion symptoms to a cooler place, loosening clothing, applying cool wet cloths, offering sips of water, and seeking medical attention if symptoms worsen or last longer than an hour.
Apple Gift Cards Are Not For Paying Strangers
Apple warns that Apple gift cards can be used only for purchases from Apple. The company says people should not share redemption codes with anyone they do not know well or have not met, because scammers may spend the funds before the victim can contact law enforcement or Apple Support.
The Federal Trade Commission gives the same warning: gift cards are for gifts, not payments. Anyone who tells someone to buy a gift card and provide the numbers from the back is a scammer, according to the FTC.
Scammers often keep victims on the phone or in constant contact while they travel to a store. They may tell the person not to talk to employees, police, bank tellers, or family members. In this case, Apple Store employees and a police officer interrupted the trip before the man could give scammers what they wanted.
Families Should Treat Gift Card Errands As A Red Flag
A person buying one gift card for a birthday or holiday is not the issue. The red flag is when a stranger, online contact, supposed government agency, tech-support caller, romantic interest, or “friend” wants gift cards as payment.
Families should ask direct questions if an older relative suddenly needs a ride to buy gift cards, seems secretive about who requested them, or says the matter is urgent. Store employees can also help by pausing large purchases and asking whether anyone on the phone is telling the customer what to buy.
Anyone who already bought Apple gift cards for a scam should keep the cards and receipts, call Apple Support immediately, ask whether the balance can be frozen, and report the scam to the FTC. If the person is outside in extreme heat or appears confused, weak, dizzy, or overheated, call for medical help first.
