Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill said he was the target of a Social Security scam on Friday. Now, the man accused of calling his county-issued cellphone is wanted by deputies.
In a news release, the sheriff’s office said Hill received a call from a man claiming to be an investigator with the federal government.
The caller, later identified as Anthony Clark Jr., reportedly told the sheriff he was looking into the “fraudulent use” of Hill’s Social Security number.
“Amused, the sheriff decided to play along,” authorities said in the release, adding that Clark “had no idea that he was talking to and attempting to scam Clayton County’s top cop.”
Hill said he gave the man a phony name and date of birth, as well as the last four digits of a made-up Social Security number. He also told the caller he recently lost his wallet at a local mall, but went back and retrieved it the following day.
According to Hill, the caller began scolding him for not filing a police report. He then reportedly told the sheriff his personal information had been used to to rent a car in Texas that was later linked to a murder investigation and money-laundering case.
Clark also told Hill that the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service had taken out a warrant for his arrest, but that it was “being held” so the issue could be resolved, authorities said.
“When the man asked the sheriff for his credit card information, the conversation went downhill,” the release said, adding that Clark cursed at Hill before hanging up on him.
The sheriff’s office traced the man’s phone number, and “within the hour” deputies surrounded a Henry County home where Clark was believed to be residing. Neighbors told police the man they were searching for had moved about a week earlier, however.
Authorities also discovered that Clark was wanted in South Carolina for failing to make child support payments, the release said, adding the attempted scam earned the man the No. 11 spot on the sheriff’s “Ten Most Wanted” list.
Anyone who knows Clark’s whereabouts is asked to call Clayton County deputies at 770-477-4477.
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