Cumberland County Sheriff's Office: Don't fall for jury duty scam

CUMBERLAND COUNTY — Cumberland County residents receiving calls telling them they owe fines for failing to show up for jury summons are being warned not to fall for the scam, authorities said.

It’s the latest “aggressive and sophisticated phone scam” targeting locals, Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office officials said in a news release Wednesday.

“They may know a lot about their targets and usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the Sheriff's Office or the Courthouse is calling,” the news release stated.

The scammers claim to be Sheriff’s Office employees or from court services and are using names of real authorities like Sheriff Ennis Wright, Lt. Lopez, Capt. Winter, deputy Oliver, officer Ward or Judge Jim Ammons, the release stated.

The scammers are telling victims they must send money via Cashapp or Venmo for failure to appear for a jury summons or else will face arrest.

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Authorities said Sheriff’s Office representatives will never call to demand immediate payment nor call about a jury summons without mailing the summons first.

Law enforcement officials do not require a specific payment for a fine like a prepaid debit card, wire fraud or money apps and will never ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone, the news release stated.

Authorities also do not threaten arrest for failure to pay, officials said.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Cumberland County authorities warn public against jury duty scam