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Phone scam uses name of York County K-9 officer shot by cop killer

YORK COUNTY, S.C. — A York County phone scam -- where callers use real names of police officers to get money -- has reached what officials are calling a new low after the name of a sergeant who was shot last year was used.

[ALSO READ: Sheriff's Office K-9 receives medal for courage after York County ambush]

Officials said a caller told a York woman that he was Sgt. Randy Clinton of the York County Sheriff’s Office. The woman was told to meet the caller, who was not Clinton, at a grocery store, where she would give him thousands of dollars in gift cards to avoid jail.

Clinton was one of four officers shot in January 2018. Detective Mike Doty was killed, and Clinton, Kyle Cummings and Buddy Brown were wounded.

“Thankfully, the person who received the call knew Randy Clinton and called the police in York,” said Trent Faris, spokesman for the sheriff’s office.

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Clinton returned to work in January as the K-9 squad leader a year after he was shot twice by Christian McCall, who is serving a life sentence for murder and attempted murder in the shooting of the officers.

The victim, Nellie Smith, described the caller as "smooth talking."

"He told me 'We'll hold you in jail until your next court appearance, May 31.' They were gonna hold me for over a month," Smith said.

Smith said she was so angry that they were using Clinton's name after everything he'd been through.

"That's what upset me and scared them to death," Smith said.

The Herald has reported that the scam of callers using real names of police has ratcheted up in recent months.

Police said officers would never call anyone on the phone to claim their arrest was imminent if the person did not pay for gift cards or any other items.

"We will never ever ever call you, especially for a warrant," Sheriff's Deputy Trent Farris said. "If anybody says, 'Hey, bring me a green dot money pack card or a gift card,' just hang up right away because that's the red flag that it's a scam."

Officials said at least three other people have told deputies they have gotten this same call.