It’s one of the most popular scams around. You’re contacted and told by somebody pretending to be a law enforcement officer that you missed jury duty and you’re about to be arrested–unless you pay a fine. And–of course–the crook who calls you is happy to take your payment over the phone, or they may insist on being paid with a gift card. In Leake County, there’ve been several reports that someone claiming to be an officer with the Sheriff’s Department is asking for payments from those who’ve supposedly missed federal jury duty.
But the LCSO says, first of all, it wouldn’t be involved in anything at the federal level, and sheriff’s deputies would never contact you asking you to pay for something over the phone. Consumer protection experts say anytime someone asks to be paid with a gift card, it should be a red flag that it’s a scam.
