COLUMBIA, S.C. – Scammers are continuing to try and trick people into handing over money or personal information. As we look back at the scams and identity theft reports received during 2024, the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs (SCDCA) encourages consumers to beware of a common government scam with a new twist and a new impersonation scam currently targeting South Carolinians: 

• Jury Duty Scams & Cryptocurrency ATMs – For years, scammers have pretended to work for a court or a police department and claim you missed jury duty. Threats of a fine or jail time usually come with a demand for payment. The new payment method these scammers prefer is cryptocurrency. Consumers are instructed to take cash to a cryptocurrency ATM, typically at a gas station, and deposit it. The scammer provides  the victim with a QR code or account details that send the deposit into the scammer’s account. Beware! Courts and other government agencies never ask for immediate payment over the phone. Only scammers insist you can only pay with cryptocurrency.
• Fake Toll Road Charges Scam – Scammers are targeting drivers with text messages claiming money is owed for unpaid tolls. The text often includes a link that sends you to a webpage where you can enter your financial and personal information. Consumers receiving this text should not click on any links. Think it may be legit? Check with the tolling agency by looking up the number or website yourself. Do not use the contact info in the text message.

Scams and identity theft cost South Carolina consumers nearly $7.5 million in 2024, according to SCDCA’s annual Identity Theft and Scams Report. The newly released report includes insights into the types of ID theft/scams reported to SCDCA and how victims were targeted. Some of the highlights include:

Identity Theft

• The 2025 report contains information from 431 reports of identity theft reported from January 1 to December 31, 2024. The sum of actual losses to the consumer resulting from identity theft was $2,211,134.
• The top three types of identity theft were: Financial (68.91%), Government (12.26%) and Medical (1.62%).
• Top three ways consumers discovered they were identity theft victims: Credit Report (19.26%), Bank Notice (10.21%) and Business Notification (8.58%).

Scams

• The report contains information from 739 scams reported. The sum of actual losses reported was $5,280,444.
• The top three types of scams were: Purchase (17.73%), Debt Collection (11.91%) and Service/Repair (11.64%).
• Forty-six percent of consumers who reported scams were contacted by phone.

The 2025 Identity Theft and Scams Report is available for download on the SCDCA Reports webpage. Consumers are encouraged to report scams or identity theft by calling (800) 922-1594 or visiting consumer.sc.gov and click the How Do I… button, then Report a Scam or Report Identity Theft.

SCDCA offers a variety of free resources to help consumers stay informed including free webinars every Wednesday, free in-person presentations across the state, free brochures and email updates. Download Ditch the Pitch, SCDCA's guide to guarding against scams for more information on how to spot a scam. 

About SCDCA

Established in 1974, DCA has fifty years of experience in protecting South Carolina consumers while recognizing those businesses that act honestly and fairly. Cultivating a marketplace comprised of well-informed consumers and businesses prevents deceptive and unfair business practices, allows legitimate business activity to flourish, resulting in the promotion of competition and a healthier economy.

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