A number of Richland County residents received a surprising letter over the weekend informing them of what has been called a “data security incident.” According to a notice posted on the county’s website, the data breach occurred on or about October 4, 2023. Many took to Facebook to voice their concerns on both the Richland Rants and Chats page and in the comments of a post by the Richland County Sheriff’s Office informing residents of calls made to their office. The letters caused many to call the Richland County Sheriff’s Office, some suggesting the letters were a scam. The sheriff’s office says they are, in fact, not a scam. According to a report, FBI cyber experts were flown into the county from Texas and Colorado to investigate the breach.