Belama Man Scammed in Online iPhone Deal, Police Investigate

Kishon Garbutt, a 24-year-old automotive repairman from Belama Phase 3, has filed a police report with the Criminal Investigations Branch (CIB) alleging he was defrauded in an online transaction. According to his statement, filed on Wednesday, Garbutt encountered a Facebook Marketplace advertisement on March 6, for a black iPhone 13 Pro Max priced at $1,000.00 Belize dollars, posted by an account under the name “Scarelet Junior.”  Garbutt communicated with “Scarelet Junior” via Messenger, agreeing to purchase the phone with the understanding that it would be shipped the following day via Belize Package and Mailing Service (BPMS). “Scarelet Junior” provided banking details for an Atlantic Bank account, under the name Tylor Malcolm.  As Garbutt did not have his banking token, he transferred the one thousand dollars to his girlfriend, Aliyah Hernandez, who then transferred the funds to the account provided by “Scarelet Junior.” Hernandez provided Garbutt with a screenshot of the transaction, which he forwarded to “Scarelet Junior” via Messenger.  On Friday, March 7, “Scarelet Junior” informed Garbutt that he was unable to ship the phone via BPMS. Since then, Garbutt reports that he has received a series of excuses and has neither received the iPhone 13 Pro Max nor a refund of his money.  A police investigation is underway.