It has come to our attention that this scam is very prevalent in the City of Easley and surrounding areas today! PLEASE DO NOT BE DECEIVED BY THIS SCAM!
SCAM ALERT – In the recent days, the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office has received numerous calls from citizens regarding a scam where fraudsters have been impersonating deputies with the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office to obtain pre-paid gift cards. Victims reported having received phone calls from telephone number (864) 397-7026 and that the subject on the other end of the telephone identified himself as a deputy with the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office before informing the victim that they had an outstanding warrant for missing jury duty. According to those who have notified PCSO of the incident, the subject impersonating a deputy informed them that they could resolve the issue by making a payment via pre-paid gift cards (ie: iTunes gift cards, Greendot cards, prepaid Visa cards, etc.). This is a SCAM!
- No representative of the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office will EVER call any citizen and request that they submit a payment via telephone, this is not a practice of the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office and if you receive such a phone call it is an immediate sign that the phone call is a scam being facilitated by a fraudster.
- The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office DOES NOT take payment in lieu of serving an arrest warrant. If a warrant has been issued, there is only two ways to resolve warrant: (1) for the warrant to be served or (2) for a judge to recall the warrant.
- If a subject asks you to submit a payment via a non-traditional method, such as an iTunes gift card or Greendot card, this is generally a red flag you are dealing with a scam. Fraudsters typically choose these unconventional payment methods method because they are more difficult to track. Therefore, be weary of anyone who requests that you submit a payment through using those methods.
- Fraudsters will frequently keep you on the telephone to prevent you from calling the appropriate authorities. If you have concerns that the person you may be dealing with may be legitimate, hang-up the telephone and look-up the phone number of the agency the subject claimed they represented. DO NOT rely upon the number they provide you. Instead, find the number for the agency yourself so to ensure that you are calling the proper agency and not the telephone number of the fraudster. Upon calling the agency, be sure to ask to speak with a deputy about the phone call so that they can properly advise you and look into the matter on your behalf.