The Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office recently sent out a tweet reminding people to be wary of a jury duty scam circulating the area.
We continue to receive reports of an ongoing jury duty scam. Remember: Our deputies will NEVER call and demand payment for missed jury duty.
— VB Sheriff’s Office (@VBSO) September 16, 2016
Scammers pretending to be deputies from the sheriff’s office are calling people and accusing them of missing jury duty. They threaten to make an arrest if the victim doesn’t pay a fine over the phone or via a pre-paid visa like Green Dot, said sheriff’s office spokeswoman Kathy Hieatt.
“That’s just not how jury duty works,” Hieatt said.
If a person really misses jury duty he or she will receive a notice from the court and there could be repercussions – but those will be handed down by a judge, Hieatt said.
“No law enforcement organization would call and demand payment over the phone… for missed jury duty,” she added.
If a scammer calls you, Hieatt suggests getting as much information as possible about the caller’s identity and reporting it to local authorities. For scams happening in Virginia Beach, call 757-385-4746, or report them to the Federal Bureau of Investigation at www.IC3.gov.
