Public Safety

Citizens should be aware that following large storms and weather events, scammers sometimes target residents in the affected areas, according to a Brunswick County news release.

Brunswick County is not endorsing contractors or vendors, and Brunswick County Public Utilities has not authorized any vendors to make repairs to utility lines on their behalf.

If citizens encounter someone making such a claim or suspect a scammer in Brunswick County, they can report it by calling 911, 253-2777 or 253-5383.

Brunswick County sheriff’s deputies arrested four men, including two charged in a fatal 2016 Shallotte crash, accused of breaking into cars and businesses during Hurricane Florence. 

The sheriff's office received a call Thursday last night about break-ins in and around Carolina Shores and Calabash, spokeswoman Emily Flax said. Deputies arrested Devin Keither Harris, 21, and Justice William Harris, 18, and charged them each with breaking or entering a motor vehicle. They were each booked in the Brunswick County Detention Facility on $5,000 bail.

An in-depth study by the Better Business Bureau finds that while consumers may write fewer checks in this era of electronic financial transactions, fake check scams are on the rise. Fake checks are used in a variety of frauds, from employment scams to prize and sweepstakes fraud. In all cases, victims deposit the check and send money back to scammers. BBB warns consumers to be on guard against these serious and pervasive frauds and their perpetrators.

Leland police investigated the following incidents and made these arrests in the past two weeks. All information is taken directly from incident and arrest reports.

Aug. 27

Identity theft using the victim’s personal information to open accounts and incur $2,750 in debt.

Simple assault by striking the victim in the face with an open palm in the parking lot of Piggly Wiggly shopping Center at 112 Village Road.