A call to duty you WILL want to miss: Latest fraudulent scam
— FROM THE OFFICE OF LEE COUNTY SHERIFF MIKE SCOTT
A Call to Duty You Will Want to Miss
September 5, 2013
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office Fraud Line has received reports this week of unscrupulous individuals posing as representatives from the U.S. District Court attempting to obtain personal information and cash from residents in a scam known as the “Jury Duty” scam. Here’s how the scheme works:
Your phone rings and the con-artist claims to be a court official and states you did not respond to a jury summons, which has now resulted in a warrant for your arrest. When you advise the caller you never received a summons to appear before the court, he quickly says he will “cancel the warrant” once you verify your personal information and agree to pay a small fine. At this point, the caller will give instructions on how to “wire transfer” your payment, while calmly asking for sensitive information such as your social security number, date of birth, address and bank account numbers.
If you receive such a call, do NOT give out any information and immediately hang up the phone. You can contact the Sheriff’s Office Fraud Line at 239-477-1242 to report the incident. If you have questions or would like more information about Jury Duty services, contact the Lee County Clerk of Courts at HYPERLINK “www.leeclerk.org” \o “www.leeclerk.org/” www.leeclerk.org.
— FROM THE OFFICE OF LEE COUNTY SHERIFF MIKE SCOTT