Another Jury Duty Scam Reported in Cherokee

For the third time in a week, the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office is warning citizens of a scam it’s been made aware of.

Lt. Jay Baker, spokesperson with the agency, said on Saturday that at least three residents have reported they’ve received calls from a man, claiming to be with the sheriff’s office, who said they’ve missed jury duty and a warrant has been issued for their arrest.

To “pay the warrant off and avoid arrest,” Baker said the caller tells residents to purchase a pre-paid credit card in the amount of $1,686 and gives them directions to meet at a particular location in Canton.

On one occasion, Baker said a resident was directed to meet the caller at the former Georgia State Patrol post on Marietta Highway near Cherokee High School.

“None of the would-be victims have agreed to purchase the card or meet the caller,” Baker added, noting this latest tactic is, in fact, a scam.

The Cherokee Sheriff’s Office does not call citizens to solicit money for any reason. Any resident who receives a similar call should hang up and call 911, Baker added.

The sheriff’s office in May alerted residents to a similar jury duty scam.

The agency on Thursday issued an alert of a scam involving a person claiming to help first-time drug offenders get released from the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center. On Monday, the sheriff’s office also alerted residents to a scam involving a person, posing as a Georgia Power representative, threatening to cut the electricity of a resident’s home if they do not provide a payment over the phone.

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