The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs says residents filed 272 scam reports from January through June, with purchase scams and phone contact topping the list.
Based on a release from S.C. Dept. of Consumer Affairs.
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina consumers lost more than $2.25 million to scams in the first six months of 2026, according to the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs (SCDCA).
Consumers filed 272 scam reports with the agency between January 1 and June 30, with total reported losses of $2,254,523, according to SCDCA.
The top three scam types were purchase scams, at 20 percent, debt collection scams, at 14 percent, and crime or warrant scams, at 11 percent, according to the agency.
Richland County had the most scam reports, at 13.24 percent, followed by Greenville County, at 8.82 percent, and Horry County, at 8.09 percent, according to SCDCA.
About 28 percent of people who filed reports did not provide their age. Among those who did, the largest groups were ages 65 to 74, at 20.96 percent, ages 75 to 84, at 14.34 percent, and ages 55 to 64, at 11.03 percent, according to the agency.
Nearly 56 percent of consumers who reported scams said they were contacted by phone, according to SCDCA. The agency also said consumers reported 22 scams involving cryptocurrency, with losses totaling $318,488.
SCDCA said common scam red flags include callers pretending to be someone familiar, claims of a problem or prize paired with pressure to act quickly, and demands for payment through cryptocurrency, gift cards, wire transfers or payment apps.
The agency will host a free webinar on Wednesday, August 12, at 10:30 a.m. to discuss the top scam types and tactics reported so far this year, according to SCDCA.
SCDCA encourages consumers to report scams by calling (800) 922-1594 or visiting consumer.sc.gov.
