The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office reports that in recent days they’ve seen an “uptick” in the number of area phone scams.

Scam artists are calling residents from spoofed phone numbers that can show up as local numbers to our area.  The scammers are identifying themselves as bondsman and are demanding money to pay bonds for failing to appear in court on civil subpoenas.

Some tips to avoid being scammed

– Don’t answer phone calls from numbers that you DON’T know or recognize.

– Block spam calls on your phone.

– Do NOT open OR click on links from text messages OR e-mails that you are not expecting.

– If you failed to do the above 3 – and are about to send money –  buy gift cards or meet someone in person to pay off these debts, DON’T put personal information on the internet or social media etc.

– When in doubt, call a loved one or a trusted friend and run the scenario by them.

Be Aware.  Stay Safe.

When in doubt simply speak to an area law enforcement official for details on how to avoid being scammed.