Sheriff Jeff Shaver wants to once again warn citizens about a scam aiming to take advantage of residents of Cherokee County and surrounding areas.

People pretending to be from a government or law enforcement agency have called local residents saying they have a warrant for their arrest. Some callers are being told they did not show up for jury duty and have to pay a fine or they will be arrested. Others are being told there's an arrest warrant for them, and all they have to do to take care of it is give the caller information for payment over the phone or by mail. In some cases, the callers have had personal information about people, including their social security numbers and birth date.

Some callers have been asked for credit card numbers or payments in order to clear the warrant. The Sheriff’s Office will never call you and ask for personal information or ask for a credit card number or other financial information to clear a warrant.  Scams like this are happening all across the country, and the calls are most likely originating from foreign countries.   

These calls are fraudulent and have no connection to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office or the Cherokee County Court system. Never give personal information such as your address, phone numbers, e-mail address, driver’s license number, Social Security Number, birth date, birth place, school’s name, or student ID number to callers.