Area residents are getting calls from a phony sheriff’s deputy saying they skipped jury duty and a subsequent court date. The caller tells you that a warrant has been issued for your arrest, or soon will be, but you can pay a $900 fine now and avoid being arrested.
Con artists have tried this scam in different locations across North Carolina over the years. They want to exploit your fear of getting on the wrong side of the law, and see if they can squeeze money out of you before you realize it’s a scam.
Reports of this scam are up in North Carolina. More than twice as many North Carolina consumers have reported getting fake jury duty calls this year than in all of 2014.
To protect yourself, remember:
- Real notices for jury duty arrive by mail.
- Legitimate public officials won’t call to threaten you with arrest if you don’t show up for jury duty or fail to pay a fine immediately.
- Hang up on jury duty scammers and other crooks who try to trick you out of your hard-earned money.
- If you get one of these calls, report it to your local police department and file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office by calling 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or completing the form online at www.ncdoj.gov.