prove he had purchased the television legitimately and had not stolen it.

According to Clark, the caller instructed him to photograph the front and back of his driver's license, a utility bill, and his receipt, then submit the images to verify his identity.

Clark says the caller then claimed someone had accessed Clark's Vizio account and was making unauthorized purchases.

Clark said he did not believe he had a Vizio account, but the person provided details about a previous television purchase that made the explanation seem credible, he said.

 Steve was probably one of the smoothest talkers I've ever run into,  Clark said.  There was something clicking in the back of my head, saying something's wrong with this, but I didn't stop. I should have immediately - it was just spooky. 

Clark said he believes the scammer gained access to his phone through the AnyDesk app. He said he was instructed to download two apps and was led to believe they would help protect his compromised account.

Over several days, Clark said he provided personal information, including his Social Security number and driver's license information.

Clark says scammers convinced him to buy gift cards

Clark said his conversations with the person identifying himself as Steve continued over several days.

During that time, the caller allegedly told Clark that gift cards had been purchased fraudulently and that he needed to buy replacement cards to reverse the transactions.

Clark said he purchased roughly six gift cards worth $500 each and provided the last four digits as instructed. He believed the cards would help resolve the alleged security problem.

 I opened up my bank account and saw that it was empty, and I asked Steve about it. He said don't worry we're going to replace all that we got you covered,  Clark said.

Clark said he continued following the instructions until his sons went to his home and discovered he was on the phone with the person claiming to be Steve.

Clark said one of his sons wrote a warning on a piece of paper telling him it was a scam. He then ended the call.

When Clark later tried to contact the person again, the number did not answer.

Local 4 tried to call to the number, and a recorded message stated,  The number you are calling is likely a scam. 

Clark has recovered $11,000 so far and says Apple is working with him to recover the remaining $3,000 associated with the gift cards.

Walmart and Vizio contacted

Holly police are continuing to investigate and work with Clark to determine who he spoke with and how he was connected to the suspected scammers.

Walmart, which acquired Vizio in March 2025, was contacted about Clark's case and reiterated that they are looking into the matter.

Holly police are continuing to investigate the case and urge people to be cautious even when they believe they are speaking with legitimate customer service representatives - particularly if they are asked to provide personal information or account details.

 If there's any doubt in your mind, hang up immediately.

Because I don't want anybody else to go through the torture that I've been through for the past month,  Clark said.