Dear The City Menus readers,
I never thought it would happen to me.
Today, I was the unlucky victim of a jury duty scam. An individual called my home phone posing as an official in the Carroll County clerk of courts. The individual speaking to me spoke to me in a convincing and authoritative manner. They also used real information that they ascertained about me in an effort to appear more credible. They went as far as “spoofing” the phone number on caller ID so that it falsely appeared to be from the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office & Clerk of Court office. The scammers claimed that a judge had issued an arrest warrant that demanded immediate payment of money in order to not be arrested or prosecuted. Although I had my doubts, I foolishly agreed to pay through a commercial money transfer service, as my compliance was out of fear and completely being caught off guard. I’ve since filed a report with legitimate and proper authorities as well as contacting my bank.
In an effort to thwart these scammers, here’s some information you should know:
● The court will always send a jury summons by U.S. Mail.
● The court and law enforcement will never demand payment over the phone.
● The court and law enforcement will never demand a gift card number to satisfy an obligation.
● A prospective juror who disregards a jury summons will be contacted through the mail by the court clerk’s office and may, in certain circumstances, be ordered to appear before a judge. Such an order always will be in writing and signed by the judge.
● A fine will never be imposed until after the individual has appeared in court and been given the opportunity to explain his or her failure to appear. If a fine is imposed, it will be in open court and presented in writing (and will not be payable by gift card number).
I hope this information is helpful to you. I am disheartened and sickened by the fact that I fell for it and especially angry that the scammers would be so brazen as to undermine the authority of the courts and the rule of law. Needless to say, I feel horribly violated. Let this be a cautionary tale to all of those who read this.
Thank you for reading. And thank you for being a part of the The City Menus/The Carrollton Menu. A special thanks to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office who acted swiftly on my behalf to open an investigation.
Regards,
Jonathan Dockery, owner of The City Menus, LLC
