The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) partners with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to investigate crimes that may include scams.
A law enforcement officer will never instruct you to stay on the phone, or you will be immediately arrested for missing jury duty or failing to pay a ticket.
A law enforcement officer will never keep you on the phone by using threats of arrest, give you instructions to withdraw cash, and give you instructions on where to deposit cash.
A law enforcement officer will never ask you to withdraw cash and deposit it at a cryptocurrency kiosk or to purchase gift cards.
All of these are scare tactics used by scammers who are impersonating law enforcement!
How scammers target victims can change, but these things are true no matter what someone on the phone, email or text message is telling you:
• Government agencies in South Carolina DO NOT ask for payment and/or personal information like your Social Security number or bank routing information over the phone or through social media.
• A South Carolina law enforcement officer will NEVER threaten you for money. If a law enforcement officer tries to pressure you into “paying off a ticket” or providing money or gift cards “to make a charge go away,” that is illegal. Report this crime immediately to your local law enforcement agency.
• No legitimate investment company, financial institution, government agency, or law enforcement agency will ever instruct you to hand over cash or precious metals to a courier, transfer cryptocurrency to protect assets, keep transactions secret from family or bank employees, or lie to bank personnel.
• “Love bombing" is a social manipulation technique employed by online scammers and other malicious actors where a victim is quickly showered with praise and attention. The scammer tries to manipulate the victim to feel trust and intimacy with them prior to having their lowered guard exploited for money and/or personal information that may be used maliciously against the victim or others.
I think someone is trying to scam me. What should I do?
• Do not engage. Protect your personal information, including banking information.
• Don't disclose your home address or agree to meet with unknown individuals to deliver cash or other valuables as part of investment activities.
• Do not continue with unsolicited communications with an unknown person.
• Stop any communication after identifying the wrong number.
• Be suspicious of unsolicited communication and contact with strangers; verify the identity of the person through third parties.
• Do not click on unsolicited pop-up messages on your computer, phone or tablet, or open links/attachments sent via unsolicited text messages or email.
• Do not contact telephone numbers provided in pop-ups, texts, or emails.
I think I’ve been scammed. What do I do now?
If you or someone you know was victimized by a scam, contact your local law enforcement agency to report it and file a complaint with the IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov.
You can also report scams to the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs by calling 1 (844) TELL-DCA (835-5322). You can learn more about scam awareness resources for South Carolina communities here: Scams | Consumer Affairs Please include any available information including:
• The name of the person or company that contacted you.
• Methods of communication used, including websites, applications, emails, telephone numbers, and any profile names associated with those platforms.
• Any bank account number(s) and cryptocurrency wallets to which you were directed to send funds and the recipient's name(s).
• If possible, include screenshots of texts, messages, and provide information for any mobile application pertinent to the scam.
Victims 60 years old or over who need assistance filing an IC3 complaint can contact the DOJ Elder Justice Hotline, 1-833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311).