Full Notification

The Sheriff's Office wants to make citizens aware of suspicious scam telephone calls reported recently.  The callers are purporting to be law enforcement officials and solicit payment from the citizen in order for them to avoid incarceration or be subjected to additional penalties.  Although some of the recent calls have come from 803 or other domestic area codes, it is believed the calls actually originate from foreign countries.  Often times the scammers are using names of actual local law enforcement officers and affiliate themselves will a legitimate law enforcement agency. 

Sheriff Tanner wants to remind citizens under no circumstances will a member of the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office contact you via telephone to solicit payment in lieu of incarceration or criminal penalty.  Citizens should be advised to never provide any personal or credit card information over the telephone or internet, unless the legitimacy of the business, organization or person requesting the information has been verified.  Organized scam activity is becoming more creative and is only limited by the imagination of the criminal on the other end of the telephone.  Anyone receiving suspicious calls asking for money should ignore or simply hang up, especially calls from a number they do not know and those from foreign area codes.  The calls can be reported to the Sheriff's Office or appropriate law enforcement agency having jurisdiction. 

Citizens wanting additional information on emerging and types of telephone and e-mail scams encountered nationwide are encouraged to visit www.fbi.gov   On the FBI's website there is a wealth of information on what to look out for and sound advice on protecting your privacy and finances.