Mecklenburg County Sheriff Warns Of Jury Duty Scam

CHARLOTTE, NC — The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office has issued a warning to county residents about an ongoing scams that include jury duty, retainer fees and other bogus claims.

MCSO will never ask residents for money or ask residents to pay money for a retainer, MCSO said Monday. “There is no ‘Mobile Warrant Procedure,’” it said.

The office also warned that residents should protect themselves against attempted jury duty scams where scammers pose as court officer demand payment, a credit card number or social security numbers for failure to appear for jury duty.

“Report suspicious activity immediately to your local law enforcement agency,” MSCO said.

RELATED:

• FBI Issues Warning On 3 Holiday Scams To Watch Out For In NC
• Scammers Scare, Extort Millions From Your Aging Parents In NC

Scammers, particularly those targeting the elderly, were convincing enough to steal $42 million from their victims over a recent 15-month period, according to a report to the Senate Special Committee on Aging, which is looking into scams against some of the nation's most vulnerable. And $42 million is just a conservative estimate of actual losses in the grandparent scam.

Overall, the top 10 scams on elderly Americans are:

1. IRS impersonation scams
2. Robocalls / unsolicited phone calls
3. Sweepstakes / Jamaican lottery scam
4. "Can you hear me?" scam
5. Grandparent scam
6. Computer scam
7. Romance scam
8. Elder financial abuse
9. Identity theft
10. Government grant scam