A caller posing as a real sheriff's captain threatens arrest over missed jury duty and demands a fine. The Jones County Sheriff's Office says it is a scam.
The Jones County Sheriff's Office is warning residents about phone calls from someone claiming to be a sheriff's captain. The caller says you missed jury duty, threatens to have you arrested, and offers a way out: pay a fine. The fine is fake, and the call is a scam.
The caller reportedly goes by "Captain Ed Bailey." That is the name of a real sheriff's office employee, which makes the call sound more believable. The office says Bailey will not call to demand money or threaten arrest over missed jury duty.
Scammers ask for payment through prepaid gift cards, Bitcoin, Cash App or other payment apps. The office says not to use any of them to settle a supposed warrant or fine. Real payments to the agency are handled in person, not by phone.
Anyone with a phone could get a version of this call. The sheriff's office says the scam has been run across the country, so it is not limited to Jones County. Older relatives are worth a quick warning, since a threat of arrest can make people act before they think.
The warning signs are simple: a threat of arrest, pressure to pay right away, and a demand for an unusual payment method. The alert box above lists what to do, including the number to call to check a call.
The report does not say how many residents have received these calls or whether anyone has lost money. It also does not say where the calls come from.
No real sheriff's office will threaten arrest over missed jury duty and demand gift cards or app payments by phone, so hang up.
Scammers are emailing Humboldt County well permit applicants and demanding $5,960 before a permit is issued. The county says the fee is fake.
Read more: Fake County Emails Demand $5,960 Fee for Well PermitsCallers posing as the Sheriff's Office told a Sarasota County woman she missed jury duty. She lost over $40,000, and the same scam is hitting others.
Read more: Fake jury duty calls cost one Florida woman over $40,000Europol warns that scam callers can fake the number on your screen, so the safest move is to hang up and call back using a number you found yourself.
Read more: Got a suspicious call? Hang up and look up the number yourself
