Catfish posing as female Florida deputy nabbed when victim dialed his fiancée and suspect’s phone rang: cops

A South Carolina man allegedly posed as a female Florida sheriff’s deputy to dupe a Georgia resident into an engagement, police said.

Caleb Jonquay Mills, 25, lives in Taylors, South Carolina.

On July 11, 2026, officers responded to a dispute at an apartment on Timothy Road in Athens, Georgia, police said.

Relatives had gathered at the residence to convince a man that the woman he believed he was engaged to did not exist, according to authorities.

Officers arrived to find the man speaking with his supposed fiancée over speakerphone, police said. She identified herself during the conversation as a female law enforcement officer, investigators said.

Investigators later learned the victim believed he was engaged to Hailey Morello, who purportedly worked as a sheriff’s deputy in Florida, police said.

Despite considering Morello his fiancée, the victim had never met her in person, according to investigators.

Mills allegedly created the Morello identity using photographs taken from the personal Facebook account of an actual female Florida sheriff’s deputy, police said.

Investigators believe the 25-year-old created fake social media accounts to carry out the deception, according to authorities.

He also allegedly used technology capable of altering his voice to sound like a woman during telephone conversations with the victim, police said.

Evolving artificial intelligence can make similar catfishing schemes increasingly sophisticated, police warned.

The victim became convinced the relationship was real, sending money to his supposed fiancée and letting her use his vehicle, investigators said.

The victim and Mills also exchanged vehicles as part of the alleged fraudulent activity, according to police.

Authorities have not disclosed how the online relationship began, police said.

Police have also not revealed how the two supposedly became engaged or how much money the victim allegedly sent, according to investigators.

The scheme may have continued for months or even years, investigators said. Its exact duration remains unknown, according to police.

The victim’s family grew suspicious of the relationship and launched an independent inquiry into the person behind the Morello persona, police said.

Relatives eventually identified Mills as the person they believed was catfishing their loved one, according to authorities.

Family members repeatedly tried to convince the victim that his fiancée was not who she claimed to be, police said.

The victim continued to believe the relationship was real, investigators said. His family’s attempts to warn him caused significant domestic tension that led to the July 11 police response, according to authorities.

During that response, the person claiming to be Morello spoke directly with officers by speakerphone, police said.

The voice sounded like a woman, investigators said. Authorities later suspected voice-changing technology had been used during the exchange, according to police.

The following day, an individual claiming to be the victim called an Athens-Clarke County police supervisor, authorities said.

The caller complained that the victim’s family was harassing him, police said. He also complained about how an officer had handled the dispute and treated the supposed fiancée, according to investigators.

Four days later, the same person contacted police again to ask what action had been taken, authorities said.

Investigators now allege Mills made both telephone calls while pretending to be the victim, police said.

The police supervisor became suspicious after noticing the incoming calls originated from a South Carolina area code, according to investigators.

The number did not match the telephone number officers had on file for the actual victim, police said.

The victim’s mother then told an officer she believed her son was being catfished, according to authorities.

She provided police with the background information the family had gathered regarding Mills, investigators said.

An investigating officer reviewed body-camera footage recorded during the July 11 response, police said.

The officer compared remarks made by the supposed fiancée with statements made during the calls from the person claiming to be the victim, according to investigators.

Investigators suspected voice-changing technology had been used, police said. The officer nevertheless determined the phrasing and context sounded more like the supposed fiancée than the actual victim, according to authorities.

On July 20, 2026, the investigating officer returned to the Timothy Road apartment to follow up on the case, police said.

While there, the officer saw the victim’s vehicle arrive at the apartment complex, according to investigators.

The driver initially remained inside the vehicle before pulling away, police said. He then parked farther inside the complex, according to authorities.

When the driver eventually got out of the car, the officer recognized him as Mills, investigators said.

Mills allegedly claimed his name was Alex Morello and told police that Caleb Mills was his brother, according to authorities.

He allegedly refused to provide his date of birth, police said. The suspect also claimed the victim was dating one of his friends, according to investigators.

Officers detained Mills after he allegedly provided a false name, police said.

The investigator then contacted the victim and asked who was currently in possession of his vehicle, according to authorities.

The victim stated that his fiancée had the car, police said.

The officer instructed the victim to place a telephone call to his fiancée, according to investigators.

When the victim placed the call, a cellphone in Mills’ possession began ringing, police said.

The victim’s photograph appeared on the screen, according to investigators. The contact was allegedly saved in the phone under the name “hubbs,” police said.

Investigators then dialed the telephone number previously used by the person claiming to be the victim when complaints were made to police, authorities said.

The cellphone in Mills’ possession allegedly rang again, police said.

Police then informed the victim that the woman he believed was his fiancée was allegedly Mills, according to investigators.

The victim was “in shock,” according to the police report.

Investigators said Mills may have stayed inside the victim’s apartment without his knowledge while the victim was away at work, according to police.

After being advised of his rights, Mills agreed to speak with investigators, police said. He made what detectives described as minor admissions but provided little additional information, according to authorities.

Mills was arrested on July 20, 2026, police said.

The 25-year-old was charged with identity fraud involving fictitious identifying information, impersonating a public officer, giving a false name to law enforcement and two counts of making false statements in a government matter, according to police.

As the investigation continued, detectives identified additional victims across multiple states, police said.

Mills allegedly used photographs taken from women’s social media accounts to create fake identities and establish online relationships with victims, according to investigators.

Those profiles included the fictitious Hailey Morello persona, police said.

Authorities have not disclosed the total number of alleged victims or the full amount of money and property involved, according to police.

Police have not stated whether additional charges will be filed against the defendant, investigators said.

The investigation remains ongoing.