HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (WSAV) — If you live in Beaufort County, you may be targeted by people who want to steal your money. Deputies said that over the past few weeks, they’ve gotten more than a hundred reports of scam calls, texts and Facebook messages.
“You’ve reached the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. We are sorry we missed your call,” a male’s voice is heard saying. “If you’ll leave your name, number, address and a brief message we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. If this is a life-threatening emergency please hang up and call 9-1-1.”
Voicemails like that may sound real but they’re not. Instead, they’re people trying to steal your hard-earned money.
Lt. Eric Calendine, with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, encounters scammers like that – every day. He said the scam calls come in waves and Beaufort County has been their focus over the past few weeks.
“Our citizens in this county have a target on their back,” Calendine said. “They are targeting areas where people have money, they might be in the later stages of their life and you know, they are susceptible to these types of scams because the bad guys’ using and pressure and fear and confidence on them to make them think that scam is real and to send that money.”