Special Column: Beware the Scammers

I like to think of myself as smart guy, for the most part. I have a college education, and I am pretty good at recognizing a line of nonsense when it’s being fed to me. But recently that was put to the test   by a scammer.  

I was in a meeting when my phone rang, so I let it go to voice mail. Later I checked the message, and the voice on the other end identified himself  as Deputy David Jenkins with the Aiken County Sheriff Office. He said he was calling to establish contact with Mr. Christopher O’Kelley and said it was imperative that Mr. O’Kelley called back as soon as possible. 

I returned the call and was told that I missed Federal jury duty. “Deputy Jenkins” went on to ask me if I received the certified letter that was signed by me on April 17 at 1:47pm. I said I didn’t and that I was  at work at that time. He then asked if my wife or children could have signed for it . I proceeded to tell him that I wasn’t married, had no children, and lived alone. 

Bear in mind, only official people on official business – or hitting me up about home or auto loans - would ever call me Christopher, so my ears and eyes were open and I was taking this call very seriously. “Deputy Jenkins” proceeded to tell me that since I missed Federal jury duty, the judge had issued two warrants for my arrest on charges of Failure to Appear and Contempt of Court. He also said two orders had been issued by the judge for a Gag and Suppression order and an MMC - a must maintain contact order.  

He gave the address to the Aiken County Sheriff’s office, which, while I was talking to him, I Googled. It was correct. Now I was really paying attention. 

“Deputy Jenkins” then told me I needed to appear at the Sheriff’s Office to address this situation. They would do a signature comparison on the certificated letter and I would be on my way. It would, he said, take less than 30 minutes. No problem, I thought. He told me to give him the milage on my vehicle as I left. I did, but my ears were starting to perk at this point – particularly when “Deputy Jenkins” said I was going to have to stay on the phone with him the whole time as I drove from my office in Columbia County to the Aiken County Sheriff's Office. I told him that I was on the on the road and heading that way. Soon, he asked me to pull over in a safe place to acknowledge a text. It said it was from the Department of Justice and the Office of the Attorney General - a Surety Bond Authority form detailing the different types of surrenders for someone with warrants. 

I acknowledged the form, and he told me that I could begin driving once I gave him the milage on my vehicle again. As I was driving, he said I would need to have a secure bond ready when I got there. My bond was set at $7,600.  

That’s when it hit me that something wasn’t right. I’ve never been arrested before and truly do not know how the system works. But he had already told me all I needed to do was come in for a signature comparison. Now he was telling me I needed to go to my finanical institution and bring the $7,600 cash to a certified FDIC location. I couldn’t be on the Sheriff Office property without it, since I had warrants and orders. Once I was processed and bailed out - after the signature comparison - I would be refunded my $7,600. 

The scam alarms were really ringing at this point. 

Around this time, our call dropped and I decided to call the Aiken County Sheriff Office’s  warrant division and ask about this. They searched my name and, predictably, did not find any warrants. I was then told this was a scam that has been making its way across Aiken, Edgefield, Columbia, and Richmond Counties. I was the tenth person in a week to call in with this story and at least three others had fallen for the swindle. So please, be safe and careful. People will do a lot to defraud others out of their money. Again, I like to think of myself as a smart person, and I almost  fell  for this hook, line, and sinker. It’s hard to admit how close I was to walking into my bank to get $7,600. 

Should you receive this, or a similar call, contact  your local authorities. I gave the name my caller used and the phone number he was calling from, but there probably isn’t a lot that can be done. Chances are this call was made from another country and cannot be traced. Still, awareness is important. The more people know, the fewer will become victims of this kind of insidious fraud.