Jury Duty Scam Resurfaces

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about the jury duty scam after a man lodged a complaint on Friday.

Deputies say the man told them he received a call from the county’s “warrants division,” saying he and his wife were wanted by law enforcement for failing to show up for jury duty. The caller instructed the would-be victim to buy a prepaid Green Dot card in the amount of $1,163 and then call him back with the card information.

The man, however, called the sheriff’s office instead.

Similar cases were reported earlier in the summer and late last year.

“It is important for all citizens to know that the majority of warrants cannot be satisfied without appearing in person at either the jail or in court; fine amounts are paid to the Clerk of Court; and none of these matters would be handled over the phone,” the sheriff’s office said in a media release.

Clerks of the Court throughout the state reported similar scams sent out via email earlier this year, as well.

See Also:

• Scam Alert: County Clerks Warn About Phony Emails

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