Sheriff’s Office warns Beaufort County citizens of bail scam | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Since Mar. 15, the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office has received two reports of fraudulent activity in which an unknown suspect attempted to get a victim to wire money to bail out an incarcerated relative.

    These con artists typically prey on elderly victims, but anyone could receive calls from someone attempting to steal money using this scam. Suspects involved in this activity may represent themselves as a relative of the victim, a bail bondsman, or a representative of a law enforcement agency that has the victim's relative under arrest. The common method in these scams is the caller's need for the victim to wire money as soon as possible to help a relative. These con artists are taking advantage of our citizens' good nature and concern for their loved ones.

    The Sheriff's Office recommends citizens conduct independent research into the alleged circumstances before wiring funds to help friends or relatives. Citizens should ask the caller for their name, location, business name and phone number. Citizens can protect themselves by contacting family members to find out if the alleged relative is, in fact, incarcerated, or by contacting their local law enforcement agency to request assistance.

    Most requests for immediate wire transfers of money are fraudulent. If the caller's request does not seem quite right, it probably is not. Wired fund transfers are usually nonrefundable once a con artist receives the payment.