Pasco Sheriff's Office Warns of Jury Duty Scam

Cover photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo by: J | Flickr

The amount of scams that are out there right now is getting outrageous, and they continue to grow more legitimate-looking and sophisticated since the advent of VoIP. Between the classic computer software scam calls from "Google" needing remote access to your PC and the barely-able-to-understand accents telling you "You've been approved for our Economic Relief loan," the Pasco County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) has received a recent uptick in reports of another kind of scam.

In an announcement made to the official PCSO Facebook page, the Sheriff's Office warns would-be receivers of mass-calls being made across the county pretending to be PCSO, sometimes even using a name of someone legitimately on PCSO staff. They often call from an unknown or blocked number, but may also spoof a number connected to PCSO, such as their general information line, to appear more legitimate.

The scammer will inform the potential victim that they either failed to uphold their civic responsibilities and missed jury duty, or have a warrant out for their arrest for failing to come to court. They will then swoop in to ease the victim's worries, saying it can be easily taken care of by just paying the no-show fee, which they will request payment for using PayPal or other similar 3rd-party payment applications, as well as instruct in the mailing of gift cards to an office they allege to be connected to Pasco County Jury Services.

The PCSO stress that these messages are not legitimate, as not only do they not manage jury duty notifications, they will never solicit people for any kind of monetary transaction — especially involving gift cards and 3rd-party payment applications. PCSO also suggest that if you receive one of these calls, to not provide any personal information and simply hang up.

If you or a loved one have been a victim of this type of scam, PCSO urges you to contact your local law enforcement agency to report and receive assistance with the crime.

Article by Rachael Volpe