Oconee County Sheriff’s Office Issues December 2025 Scams Update

(Walhalla, SC)-------------------------------------In our continuing efforts to educate and inform our citizens, and to prevent them from becoming victims of scams, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office is releasing today our December 2025 Scams Update. 

A Deputy spoke with a person who stated that they had received a text message reportedly from their bank regarding a suspicious charge at a retailer in the amount of $1,530.  The person replied no to the text message and then received a phone call.  The person told the Deputy that the caller had her account number, name and address so she believed that it was a representative from her bank. 

The person also stated that the caller accessed her accounts and a transfer of money was completed.  The victim then called her bank and was informed that a transfer of money was completed from her account to another account that was not associated with the victim. 

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office recommends to never respond to a text that claims to be from your bank or financial institution that alerts you to a possible suspicious purchase.  Call your bank or financial institution first to see if the text is legitimate and to validate any suspicious purchases.  The Sheriff’s Office also recommends that you check your accounts on a regular basis to see if any suspicious charges or purchases have been made. 

Also, Sheriff Crenshaw received word from two citizens that they received statements from Medicare with charges for services that they did not receive. 

Sheriff Crenshaw reminds those who are receiving services from Medicare to check their statements carefully when they receive them.  The Sheriff also recommends contacting Medicare to report any charges for services that were not received so Medicare can remove those charges and begin a fraud investigation through their agency. 

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office also recommends that you contact your local law enforcement agency and file a report if you are a victim of a fraud, or if your personal identifying information or financial account information has been compromised.  Some agencies require a police report to be filed before they will begin an investigation or look at the possibility of any restitution to a victim.