Earlier this week, on the same day that a Carroll County woman was celebrating her 70th birthday, she nearly fell victim to a jury scam which could have cost her several hundred dollars.
That day, she had answered a phone call where a manÂ’s voice on the other end of the line, told her that she had missed jury duty. In order to avoid going to jail, he told her that she must put hundreds of dollars on a prepaid debit card and get it to the man who claimed to be a local judge.
As the woman rushed inside her Carrollton bank to make a withdrawal, she came upon a familiar face, who would prove to save the day. She ran into Carroll CountyÂ’s Clerk of Court, Alan Lee.
“She approached me at the bank, distraught and wanting to know why I was sending the police after her. She explained her story to me and I realized that she was a victim of what is commonly known as a jury scam and that she actually had the criminal on the phone out in her car,” said Lee, retelling the story to WLBB radio. “I talked to this gentleman on the phone who I can tell you is no gentleman. He politely hung up on me after a few seconds and I explained to her, what the jury scam was all about. She was in earnest belief that she was going to be locked up and that she had talked to one of our local judges.”
Lee said that while most area residents have heard the warnings of potential jury scams in the past, he hopes to get the word out to residents that have not heard of this fraud.
While he understands the pressure that potential victims may feel when they get calls from these convincing predators, he said never, under any circumstances, will law enforcement ask you to pay a fine through gift cards. It will also be extremely unlikely that law enforcement will contact you via a phone call.