Clay County Sheriff’s Office Issues Warning About Phone Scam

HAYESVILLE, N.C. — The Clay County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a scam targeting local citizens in which callers threaten arrest over alleged U.S. District Court violations.

Officials say a report was received on Sept. 8, 2024, involving a caller who threatened a victim with arrest for failing to comply with a court notice. The caller displayed the sheriff’s office number, 828-389-6354, on caller ID—a common tactic in these scams—and even had the victim’s full name, maiden name, Social Security number, address, and date of birth.

During the call, the victim became suspicious before any request for payment was made and ended the call. Officials noted the victim froze their credit ratings and notified their bank because of the sensitive information involved.

The sheriff’s office also raised concerns that the scam may have used artificial intelligence to mimic the victim’s voice. The caller asked the victim to read certain sentences from a purported court document, which could potentially be used in voice-based scams where criminals impersonate loved ones to solicit money. No such voice-based scams have been reported in Clay County to date.

Sheriff’s officials remind residents that no government or law enforcement agency will ever call, text, or email to threaten arrest and request payment to avoid consequences. Residents who suspect they have been targeted should call 911 and report the incident to the FBI at IC3.gov.