Richland County warns public of fraudulent text message scam

Richland County Government is alerting the public to a fraudulent text message scam involving individuals falsely claiming to represent the State of South Carolina and the Fifth Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office.

The County is aware of text messages sent to residents Monday about a “final court-ordered mandatory collection notice.” These messages falsely inform recipients they have pending criminal/traffic violations requiring immediate payment. The messages include what appear to be legitimate citation numbers and provide contact information and a QR code. Further, the messages say the recipient’s court hearing is scheduled for April 21 at the County’s Judicial Center. They include the address of the Judicial Center and a phone number for the County’s Central Court.

These notifications are not issued by Richland County, the Solicitor’s Office, the State of South Carolina or any other government entity. Richland County Magistrates do not communicate outstanding matters via text message and do not request payments in this manner.

Recipients are advised:

• Do not call the phone number listed in the message.
• Do not scan the QR code in the message.
• Do not provide personal or payment information over the phone.
• Report the message to the County Ombudsman’s Office: 803-929-6000.

About Richland County

The County Government is dedicated to providing exceptional public services through effective planning, proactive leadership, and inclusive governance to ensure that all residents, visitors, and businesses have equitable opportunities and improved quality of life today and in the future.