BOARDMAN — Police are searching for a man alleged to have assisted in defrauding a local woman by posing as a FedEx worker.

According to a report from the Boardman Police Department, officers received a complaint from a resident on Forest Garden Drive Tuesday regarding events that transpired over the previous few weeks.

The woman told police it began Nov. 29, when a man impersonating an AT&T fraud department representative called her. The caller told her someone in Maryland or Delaware ordered a $1,200 iPhone and a $50 Bluetooth headset by hacking the woman’s AT&T account.

The report states on Dec. 2, the woman said UPS delivered an iPhone, which required her signature. Shortly after the delivery arrived, she received a call from the same man who had contacted her previously, telling her the delivery was an error on their part and a driver from FedEx would be coming to retrieve the iPhone.

Later on Dec. 2, she said, a heavy-set black man wearing a dark jacket arrived and said he was there to pick up the phone. She told police there was no FedEx vehicle present, only a red four-door sedan with another male sitting in the passenger seat.

According to the report, when she requested a receipt to ensure the package was being returned, the man unzipped his jacket to reveal a FedEx shirt underneath.

He assured her that although he was aware of scams involving FedEx, he was actually an employee and would be taking back the phone.

The report states the headset had not arrived, but the woman’s AT&T account showed it shipped through UPS on Nov. 29.

The woman told police she saw she had been charged more than $33 on her account and regular monthly payments had been set up on the account. When she went to the AT&T store to ask about it, she was told it was most likely a scam and to contact the AT&T fraud department about it.

The woman stated she would be able to recognize the man at her door if she saw him again.

Boardman Police Chief Todd Werth said there have been multiple reports of AT&T customers being victims of fraud across the county.

“A group had been using customer accounts to purchase new cell phones and have them delivered to the customers’ addresses,” he said.

Werth said the role of the FedEx impersonator is to come to the residence to ask for the phones or steal them off the porch if the package is still there and the phones are sent overseas for sale.

“On Dec. 11, Boardman Police Department detectives were able to arrest two individuals involved in the fraud scheme,” Werth said. “The proactive arrest operation was based upon a tip from a customer and cooperation from Fedex and AT&T. It is possible there are additional people involved as part of this group.”

Werth said customers should review their online account statements and report any suspected fraud immediately to the company and law enforcement.

“Some version of a home video surveillance system, including a doorbell / front porch-mounted camera is extremely helpful to law enforcement for these types of crimes,” he said.

Shannon Davis of FedEx Media Relations said it is common for scammers to try to use the names of trusted brands like their company and AT&T.

“FedEx is one of the many companies whose brand has been abused in this way,” she said. “FedEx team members will have a company-issued ID visible when picking up and delivering shipments. In addition, FedEx does not send unsolicited text messages or emails to customers requesting money or personal information.”

AT&T declined to comment.