CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Scammers are targeting Nueces County residents with fake phone calls claiming they missed jury duty and owe fines or have warrants for their arrest, according to local law enforcement.
About a dozen residents called the Nueces County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday reporting they received calls from someone claiming to be law enforcement.
Nueces County Sheriff J.C. Hooper wants residents to know his office will never call about warrants or missed jury duty.
"We're not going to call you. We're going to come and visit you at your home or place of employment if there is a warrant out for you," Hooper said.
The scammers are using real deputy names from the department, which they can easily find on the sheriff's office facebook page. They pressure victims by saying the issue must be handled immediately to avoid bigger problems.
"They try to make the victim believe that if this isn't taken care of today, the problem is even bigger tomorrow," Hooper said.
The Better Bussiness Bureau (BBB) says this is not an uncommon scam, and scammers will try their best to get you to to believe them.
"If you are hesitant, the scammers will offer to text or email doctored credentials to you, to confirm their identity. The badge is either stolen or has been edited to include a different name. But no matter how convincing the “badge” or the impostor’s story may be, always do your research before acting. If you send these scammers money, they will disappear, and you won’t be able to get it back," according to the BBB.
If scammers ask to meet in person to "take care of" the supposed warrant, don't agree to it. That's not how county government or city police departments conduct business, according to Hooper.
The sheriff encourages residents to spread awareness about this scam and check on parents and grandparents who may be more vulnerable to these tactics.
Both the BBB as well as the NC Sheriff's Office encourage you to call the law enforcement directly if you are unsure if the call is a scam or not. It's better to be safe than sorry.
Jury duty is essential for keeping the justice system running, as inmates awaiting trial need juries for their cases to proceed. However, legitimate jury duty notifications come through official mail, not phone calls demanding immediate payment.
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