Police: Jury Duty Telephone Scam Hits Stamford

Stamford Police have issued a warning for residents so they won’t be duped by telephone scammers calling about purported missed jury duty.

The Stamford Police Department Financial Crimes Unit has received multiple calls from residents reporting that they have been contacted and told they have missed jury duty. The potential scam victims are told that they need to pay a fine or will be immediately arrested and are then instructed to pay the fine in the form of Green Dot cards.

Police said the suspects will search the internet for victims and get their nicknames and family members’ names. The suspects also mention local judges’ names to make the scam appear more credible.

“Our investigation has traced the activity to a known prison gang, “Ghost Face”, operating mostly out of Autrey State Prison in Georgia. The investigation has revealed a well-coordinated operation and multiple federally agencies are actively investigating the scam,” Stamford Police said in a statement issued Tuesday.

“No police department or government agency will call you and ask you to pay a fine using Green Dot cards. No police department or government agency will allow you to make a payment in lieu of being arrested. If you are contacted by someone claiming to be from a government agency and you are skeptical of their credentials, you may contact the Stamford Police Department’s Financial Crimes Unit at (203) 977-4407,” police said.

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