05-04-2025
Report: Scammers spoof Spartanburg Co. Sheriff's Office number to steal thousands
SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WPSA) – Scammers have reportedly 'cloned' the phone number for the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office in an effort to target victims with a jury duty scam.
According to reports from the sheriff's office on Friday a man reported to the sheriff's office to turn himself in after he believed he was wanted for failing to report for jury duty.
The victim reportedly told deputies he received a phone call from someone who claimed he'd missed jury duty and would need to pay an $11,900 bond to avoid jail time. The phone number used in the scam, according to a report, is the same as the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office primary phone number.
Believing the caller was legitimate, the man reportedly paid the $11,900 in bitcoin using an ATM on Asheville Highway. When the scammer then told the man he would have to pay an additional $50,000 to avoid jail time, he decided to turn himself in to the sheriff's office, where he learned it was a scam.
Lt. Kevin Bobo, public information officer for Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office, said in an email multiple county residents have complained about similar phone calls over the last two days.
'Despite previous scam alerts, we wanted to take this opportunity once again to remind citizens this agency will never call you and ask you to pay a fine via Bitcoin, Green Dot, or gift cards for missing jury duty,' he said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
