Imagine having thousands of dollars delivered to your house. A Lexington County woman knew something was off when $23,000 in cash showed up at her home late last year. She called the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department to ask deputies to take the money for safekeeping.

“We treated this like a found property call,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said. “Someone came across something that wasn’t theirs and they wanted to do the right thing and get it back to the owner.”

The money came in a package showing it was sent from Spokane, Washington, according to Koon.

“Working from the return address label, we confirmed the identity of the woman who sent the money and then worked with her bank to determine she had been scammed,” Koon said. “She did exactly what the scammer told her and mailed cash to an address. What most likely happened is the scammer either provided the wrong address or didn’t make it to the mailbox before our financial good Samaritan. They thought they’d be able to grab the money out of the box before anybody else.”

Deputies returned all of the woman’s money back to her in the form of a check, according to Koon.

“While this is a great outcome, many times tracking down money sent in response to a scam is next to impossible,” Koon said. “With tax season here, we encourage everyone to be on guard. Remember, the IRS never calls and asks for money. They send letters.

“Please talk with family members about scams and how they work. As with any potential danger, education is always the best safeguard against becoming a victim.”

To schedule a presentation on scam and fraud prevention, contact LCSD Victim Advocate Hatchell or Victim Advocate Robinson at 803-785-2447.