BCSO warns residents of scammers posing as Berkeley Co. officials

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) has issued a scam alert warning residents of possible scammers pretending to be Chief Jeremey Baker or Captain Jimmy Mixon.

BCSO says the caller is demanding payments from residents for failure to appear for jury duty.

“Please note that court staff and the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office will NEVER request payment in any form for failure to appear for jury duty,” says BCSO’s social media.

Officials released these facts to protect residents from future scams.

• A court will always send a jury summons by U.S. mail and will never demand payment or sensitive information over the telephone.
• A prospective juror who disregards a summons will be contacted by the court clerk’s office and may, in certain circumstances, be ordered to appear before a judge.
• A fine will never be imposed until after the individual has appeared in court and been given the opportunity to explain a failure to appear.