Moncks Corner, South Carolina – Berkeley County deputies are warning citizens of a phone scam that has already cost many victims thousands of dollars.
Investigators believe the callers are impersonating personnel of the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, utilizing the real names of deputies and command officials to appear credible. The phone numbers are frequently local, with caller ID occasionally displaying the sheriff’s office.
“There are a few different variations on how this scam works, but they all start the same,” said Cpl. Carli Carr of the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office. “You will receive a call from a number that appears to be a Berkeley County number. They’re using the identities of our supervisors to inform individuals they skipped jury duty or that they have a warrant and must pay it off to avoid going to jail.”
Carr stated that the agency has received hundreds of calls over the last three weeks from people reporting the fraud. Some residents have even come in person to try to pay phony fines.
“People have come into our duty office with cash, claiming they’re here to pay off a warrant. Others have already sent money via Cash App,” she explained.
Deputies claim the scammers utilize high-pressure methods, threatening to bring officers or a SWAT team to a person’s home if they hang up. “They make it sound scary and legitimate, but it’s not,” Carr told me.
Zack Sivils, one of the residents who received a call, stated that the fraudster knew his full name, address, and even court information, making the situation appear real.
“Nothing seemed off about it until he started getting incredibly pushy about sending money,” she stated. “He said I could go in person to handle the fine, but that I’d be arrested on site and held without bail, so it would be better to handle it over the phone.”
Carr advised residents to hang up immediately if they received a call like this and contact the sheriff’s office directly.
“If someone is telling you to pay off a warrant through Cash App, that is a scam,” she informed me. “Call us immediately, and we can walk you through the correct steps.”
The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office duty office can be reached at 843-719-4412 or by dispatch at 843-719-5065. Deputies remind citizens that no law enforcement agency will ever request money over the phone.
