Officials: SC inmates hacked CrimeStoppers line - WMBFNews.com, Myrtle Beach/Florence SC, Weather

COLUMBIA, SC (AP) - A South Carolina tip line says state prison inmates have hacked their system, running up thousands of dollars in personal phone calls.

CrimeStoppers says inmates hacked the organization's toll-free number and used the line to make $7,000 in personal phone calls.

Greenville County CrimeStoppers president Joey Hudson says he thinks inmates billed the toll-free CrimeStoppers number 4,000 long distance calls in one month.

Now, the company that provides the toll-free number has blocked all calls coming from the state prison system and pay phones. CrimeStoppers officials say they get lots of tips from behind bars and are working with the company to unblock those calls.

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