A phone call an Athens-Clarke County officer told him to make ended up unraveling a relationship a Georgia man had believed was real, according to a police report detailed by People. What started as a routine response to a family dispute turned into an identity fraud investigation that police say has since uncovered additional alleged victims across multiple states. The man had been in an online relationship with a woman he knew as “Hailey Morello,” a Florida sheriff’s deputy he’d never actually met in person. Per the outlet, he reportedly sent her money and let her borrow his car, with investigators alleging Mills and the victim exchanged vehicles as part of the scheme His family wasn’t convinced. They apparently grew suspicious of “Hailey” and tried to warn him, which created real tension in the household—the kind of friction that’s become familiar in cases where one family member becomes convinced a relative is being catfished while the other remains convinced the relationship is real. Relatives reportedly did some digging of their own and landed on a name they believed was behind the fake account, 25-year-old Caleb Jonquay Mills. The family had already figured out who might be behind “Hailey” That family dispute is what brought police to the man’s apartment on July 11. During the response, the supposed fiancée allegedly joined the conversation by speakerphone and identified herself as a law enforcement officer, according to 11Alive. Athens man thought he found his future wife. Police say 'she' was a South Carolina man Police say Caleb Mills posed as "Hailey Morello," a female Florida sheriff's deputy. He's accused of using stolen photos, fake accounts and voice-changing technologyhttps://t.co/8z1rXXWW2x— Ian (@Ian9571) September 5, 2026 A supervisor later noticed something off when calls started coming in from someone claiming to be the victim, complaining about his family and how police had treated his fiancée. Those calls reportedly came from a South Carolina number, not the one on file for him. On July 20, an investigator watched a car pull up to the apartment and recognized the driver as Mills, who allegedly introduced himself as “Alex Morello” and claimed Caleb Mills was his brother. When the officer later asked the victim who had his car, he said his fiancée did. He was told to call her. When he called, Mills’ phone allegedly began ringing. The victim’s photograph reportedly appeared on Mills’ phone under the contact name “hubbs.” The police report described the victim as being “in shock.” Investigators allege Mills built the “Hailey Morello” persona using photos lifted from a real deputy’s Facebook account and used voice-altering technology to pull off the calls. The alleged scheme echoes other romance scam cases involving invented personas built around stolen photos and fabricated backstories. Police also suspect Mills may have stayed inside the apartment while the victim was at work, though police said they suspect he may have done so. Mills was arrested on July 20 for identity fraud and other alleged offenses. In a Sept. 3 Facebook post, the department said detectives had since identified additional alleged victims across multiple states. Police said Mills allegedly used women’s social media photos to create fictitious identities and establish online relationships. “As technology and artificial intelligence continue to evolve, online scams and catfishing schemes can become increasingly sophisticated,” police said, asking anyone who believes they may have been targeted in the alleged scheme to file a police report.