Oconee County Warns Residents of Utility and Bank Impersonation Scams

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The Oconee County Sheriff's Office in South Carolina has issued a February 2026 scams update, warning residents about two recent fraud schemes targeting local consumers. In one case, a victim was tricked into making fraudulent utility payments over the phone, while in another incident, a caller impersonating a bank employee was able to access a victim's account and transfer funds via Cash App.

Why it matters

Scams like these can have serious financial and emotional consequences for victims, underscoring the importance of public awareness and vigilance when it comes to protecting personal and financial information. The sheriff's office is proactively educating the community to help prevent future incidents.

The details

In the utility scam, a victim received unsolicited calls from someone claiming to represent a utility company and stating the victim was behind on payments. The victim was pressured to make two fraudulent payments totaling around $200 using a debit card over the phone. In the bank impersonation scam, a victim provided banking information to a caller who claimed to be from Bank of America and needed the details for 'electronic maintenance.' Several days later, the victim discovered $1,400 had been transferred out of the account via Cash App.

• The utility scam calls occurred in February 2026.
• The bank impersonation scam occurred over several days in February 2026.

What’s next

The two incidents have been referred to an investigator in the Financial Crimes Unit of the Criminal Investigations Bureau for further follow-up.