GONZALES — One woman reached out to 2 On Your Side for help after her family member fell for a scam. She was trying to get it resolved, but then found out last week her case wasn't being investigated like she thought it was.

Brianna Cooley says it all started in September when her stepmom answered a phone call from a woman claiming to be working with AT&T. That caller offered a deal for being a valued customer for 20 years. The caller instructed her stepmom to go to a nearby AT&T store and purchase a new iPhone. They promised reimbursement, a discounted bill, and free Apple devices.

"She called me one day and was like, 'Hey, what color Apple Watch do you want?'" Cooley said.

A few weeks later, Cooley learned that Apple Watch wasn't coming and that her stepmom was in trouble. Her stepmom had purchased six iPhones from an AT&T location on Airline Highway and four additional iPhones from a nearby Boost Mobile store. She racked up a bill of $8,500. 

"At that point she's like, 'Why am I not receiving my devices, my bill's not getting shorter,'" Cooley said.

Her stepmom's monthly bills skyrocketed. That's when she realized she was involved in a scam. She filed a report with the Gonzales Police Department and contacted AT&T's fraud division.

"AT&T has been giving us the run-around; they said that they were going to investigate," Cooley said. 

Her stepmom was instructed to only pay their normal monthly bill, then last week their phones were shutoff for late payment. They hadn't received an update from AT&T about their fraud case. Cooley spent over an hour on the phone with AT&T trying to find out if they had reached a decision in the case, but learned nothing had been resolved. 

The number the scammer had called from is no longer in service, and the address where the phones were shipped to is a warehouse building in Georgetown, TX. After Cooley reached out to 2 On Your Side, she heard from AT&T.

"From the president's executive office," she said.

Cooley hopes her stepmom is now moving toward a solution and recognizes the red flags of a scam. 

On Friday, AT&T apologized to Cooley and her stepmom. The account has been placed on hold while AT&T determines the best course of action, and they will learn more early next week. 

An AT&T spokesperson provided the following statement to WBRZ. 

We are working to address this customer's concerns and take the security of customer accounts very seriously. We have processes in place to help ensure that any changes to accounts are authorized by the primary account holders and strongly urge all our customers to exercise caution and remain vigilant. If you suspect any fraudulent activity on your wireless account, go to the Wireless Fraud page or call 877.844.5584 for help with filing a fraud claim. For tips on how to spot scams, please visit AT&T Cyber Aware | Fraud Prevention & Cybersecurity Program.

Cooley says her mom switched to another provider when their lines were cut off.