A Hood News Peep is warning others about a jury duty scam after receiving a phone call from someone claiming to be with the sheriff’s office. The caller told them they had missed jury duty that morning and now had two warrants out for their arrest.
The caller instructed the Hood News Peep to leave work immediately and head to the courthouse to get the situation cleared up. While on the way, the scammers allegedly changed their instructions and demanded the person stay on the phone at all times. They were then told they needed to stop, withdraw cash, and drop it off at a “secure” location before going to court. The scammers claimed this was necessary to prevent them from being arrested.
The Hood News Peep became suspicious, hung up the phone, and called 911 to report the incident. They were told that because no money had actually been handed over, a formal police report could not be made, but the incident would be documented.
Reminder: Law enforcement agencies will not demand money over the phone or ask anyone to drop off cash to avoid arrest.
