MARTINSBURG — Berkeley County Sheriff Rob Blair advises that there is currently an influx of telephone scams in the area, where a caller indicates he is a deputy with the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department calling about missed court dates. The caller, Blair said, advises that caller that they have missed a court date and must come, at which time they will face arrest. “They then offer an alternative way to handle the problem,” Blair said, adding that often a second person representing themselves as a “supervisor” offers a way for the victim to handle the matter by sending App gift cards or going to a kiosk location and wiring funds.
“There has been an inordinate amount of calls at this point,” Blair said, indicating that many individuals realize they are scams but that others have lost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. Blair advises citizens hang up should they get such calls and contact the sheriff’s department at 304-267-7000. He stresses that one should not call any number the caller provides but should call the actual number of the department.
“The sheriff’s office will never ask a citizen to pay a fine or a fee in this manner,” Blair said. “Unfortunately, we live in a society like this,” Blair continued, as he also advised that citizens be aware of other potential telephone scams. With the current call for assistance to hurricane victims, Blair said the opportunity is there for individuals to take advantage of others in that fashion, as.