Telephone scams alive and well in Oconee!

Oconeeans who’ve been picking up their telephones are hearing individuals on the other end claim they are law enforcement and warn that jury duty has been missed or they face outstanding tickets and warrants.  It’s a scam, says Jimmy Watt, public information officer for the Sheriff’s Office.  The scammers are trying to separate you from your money.  A caller claimed to be a sergeant, but when an Oconee investigator dialed the number it wasn’t long before the man who purported to be an officer terminated the call.  “As we have said on numerous occasions, if law enforcement has outstanding warrants on a person, then law enforcement has the right to place them under arrest,” says PIO Watt. “However, the Sheriff’s Office or any law enforcement agency will not call an individual and ask for money directly to excuse a lawfully obtained arrest warrant or to cover costs of tickets or to pay any type of fines.  All fines as it relates to court costs or tickets are handled during the adjudication process but a deputy does not handle any type of financial transactions such as this.”  Another attempted scam occurs when someone claims to be from a technology company and needs access to the victim’s computer.  The Sheriff’s Office reminds everyone not to allow anyone remote access to your computer unless you initiate the call to the technology company yourself.