HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Reno County Sheriff’s Department says there is a new twist on one of the more frequently-attempted phone scams in the area.

The caller claims to be from a sister company of “Microsoft and Apple.” The scammer says the company is going out of business and tells the potential victim they are due a refund. In a call reported to the sheriff’s office, the scammer mentioned recent computer work and told the woman who took the call a refund was coming her way. The scammer told the woman she would be fined $250 if she didn’t respond with the necessary contact information to send the refund. The woman told the scammer to mail the refund, but the caller insisted he needed a bank account number.

This is obviously a scam. The sheriff’s department wants Reno County citizens to be aware this is not a legitimate offer.

Microsoft and Apple don’t share a sister company. A refund would be sent through the mail. Be wary of callers asking for your bank account number. No one that is owed a refund would be penalized monetarily if they failed to collect that refund.