Hackers Scam Business Out of $120K
In a shocking incident, an astounding sum of $120K was reported to have been scammed from a local business on Clements Ferry Road, a part of the Team 5 jurisdiction that includes areas of Daniel Island, Clements Ferry Road, and parts of Cainhoy, according to the City of Charleston Police Department’s crime reports.
Case of Wire Fraud Revealed
As per the official report, the fraudulent activity was uncovered on June 17. The manager of the predominantly affected company had shifted their mode of payment from written checks to ACH for one of their vendors in March. The transactions seemed to have been going through smoothly for the initial few months, however, a notification from the vendor stating non-receipt of payments raised suspicions and triggered the investigation.
On scrutiny, it was noted that the confirmation of payments was received from an unfamiliar, almost similar email address. Moreover, it was affirmed in a phone interaction with the vendor that the email communications carrying the confirmation of payments were not from their end, pointing towards a case of identity theft. The total amount that was wrongly credited to the hackers summed up to an alarming amount of $119,350.
Increasing Cybercrime Instances
This is, however, not the only case of online fraudulent activity reported in the vicinity. An Island Park Drive resident reported an identity theft case where he was at the receiving end of a phone call while he was away from the country. The call was concerning the purchase of a new boat, which the victim denied making. Following this, it was uncovered that a mysterious individual had made a withdrawal of $11,580 from a different branch in Annapolis, Maryland, under the victim’s name.
In another instance, a complainant reported having paid $10,500 to individuals who claimed to be deputies with the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office. The perpetrators through a phone call informed the complainant that he had a grand jury summons and was required to pay $3,500 in fines. They further instructed him to transfer the money through a Coinme machine in four separate transactions, making the fraudulent activity look legit.
Non-Digital Crimes Reported
Adding to the woes, the month of June was marked by other non-digitally mediated crimes too. Motor vehicle theft and burglary rippled fear across the residents – with a Club Car golf cart worth $4,500 reported stolen from an apartment on River Landing Drive, and a new apartment construction site burglarized causing theft of locked-in tools worth $6,000.
All these alarming incidents are under police investigation. The aforementioned patterns strongly indicate the rise in both digital and non-digital crime rates within this area, raising concerns around safety and security for the residents.
This turns on the heat for the law enforcement agencies and cybercrime solutions to step up their game and bring an immediate end to this wave of ill-intended activities, ensuring a safe and secure neighborhood to the City of Charleston residents.
