City of Clemson issues scam ALERT

Scam Alert

• Between January 13th, 2016 and January 19th, 2016 there have been four incidents in which unknown suspect(s) have called elderly victims and scammed them out of large quantities of money.

o Two were completed and reports were filed.
o One was not completed and the victim declined a report.
o One was sent to another local agency.

• The suspect(s) are calling elderly victims claiming to be a family member, then advising that they have been arrested for a serious offense.

• A second suspect then claims to be a Law Enforcement officer explaining fraudulent circumstances that led to the arrest, and that if the victim pays (usually thousands of dollars) their loved one will be released.

• The victim is directed to go to the local supermarket and get Reloadit gift cards in a specific amount, then call them back.

• In the cases that were completed the victims did as directed then later, after transferring the money to the suspect(s) by phone, have found that their loved ones were fine and never incarcerated.

• Things to remember:

o If you receive a phone call advising you that a loved one is in jail, STAY CALM. These suspects are preying on emotions and know that their scam works best when we are panicking.
o Please verify your loved one’s status by:
§ Calling your family member directly
§ Calling other family that would have knowledge of their whereabouts
§ Calling the Law Enforcement agency that your family member is allegedly being held at directly

o Remember that Law Enforcement agencies do not handle bond arrangements themselves. That is a Court process.

o Remember that neither the Court nor Law Enforcement will ever direct you to obtain gift cards to pay a bond.

• If you are targeted for this scam, do not send any money, and contact your local law enforcement agency immediately.

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