Warning: Con artists pretending to be law enforcement targeting families of York County inmates, Sheriff says
YORK COUNTY, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The York County Sheriff’s Office is warning the public of a scheme they said is ‘plaguing the community,’ and targeting families of inmates.
Deputies said it’s a new police impersonation scheme where con artists are pretending to be members of the YCSO staff to trick victims into sending them money under false pretenses.
Recently, the YCSO said these con artists have been impersonating York County Captain Shane Kitchen, claiming that sending money will help bail out a loved one.
They have also posed as representatives from the Detention Center or York County magistrate bond court, falsely offering to sell ankle monitors for bail purposes, the YCSO said.
“The sheriff’s office does not have ankle monitors or sell them. Ankle monitors, when required, are provided by bail bondsmen as part of bond conditions,” the sheriff’s office explained.
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Warning: Con artists pretending to be law enforcement targeting families of York County inmates, Sheriff says
In another alarming tactic, the YCSO said these con artists have falsely claimed a health emergency, urging people to quickly bond out their loved ones to avoid danger.
“Any true emergency or multiple deaths in the detention center would be publicly communicated, and measures would be taken to prevent further incidents,” the YCSO said.
The sheriff’s office said these criminals access the most visited page on their website, the inmates’ page, to find names and search for their relatives’ contact information. They will then call these relatives, demanding money through electronic means such as the Cash App, Venmo, PayPal, or gift cards. These demands are clear indicators of a scam, the sheriff’s office said.
The York County Sheriff’s Office said these calls are believed to originate from numbers in Columbia and Charleston, SC, but they’re still working to confirm the exact origin.
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