WASHINGTON CO. SHERIFF WARNS OF JURY DUTY SUMMONS SCAMS

  

The Washington County Sheriff Otto Hanak is alerting the public of imposter type scams involving individuals claiming to be from the Washington County Sheriff's Office, court officials, or other law enforcement officials. We are urging people to report the scam solicitation calls not only to their local law enforcement agencies through the E911 Dispatch office (979) 277-7373, but also to the Federal Trade Commission (ReportFraud.ftc.gov). The FTC has the ability to detect patterns of fraud from the information collected and share that data with law enforcement.

Scammers use many tactics to sound credible. The scammers sometimes provide information like badge numbers, names of actual law enforcement officials, county, state and federal judges, and courthouse addresses. Technology has made it more challenging to spot a scam that plays out over the phone or by email. Scammers often use sophisticated devices to spoof the Caller ID and make it appear as if they’re actually calling from the Sheriff’s office, the courthouse, or the police department. Emails can also appear to be sent from a legitimate source. Fortunately, though, with some basic information, you can learn to spot most scams and protect yourself from being the next victim.

Here’s what you need to know about the jury duty summons scam which came to light again two weeks ago in which our very own command staff member’s name was used to solicit money from one of our citizens. The scammer alleged our citizen failed to appear for jury duty.

• Failure to appear for jury duty is not grounds for immediate arrest.
• Texas courts do not require anyone to provide sensitive information, like Social Security or credit card numbers, over the phone.
• Courts send jury duty summonses and notices about failure to appear for a court date through the United States Postal S mail.
• Citizens are not required to pay a fine for missing jury duty without first being given the opportunity to explain themselves in court.
• Court officials will never demand payment over the phone or via specific means.

How to protect yourself from jury duty scams and similar cons:

• Never share personal or financial information over the phone or by email to an unverified party.
• Don’t respond to emails or voicemails about missed service.
• Never pay an alleged fine using a prepaid gift card or money transfer. It is nearly impossible to trace and reverse these transactions.
• Don’t let an authentic-looking Caller ID fool you into believing a caller is who they claim to be. When in doubt, call a court official yourself.

If you believe you’re being targeted, then you can take action to prevent being victimized further.

First, reach out to relevant courts to verify that you have not actually missed a jury duty summons. They will likely confirm your suspicions about the scam.

Next, do not engage with the scammer. If the scammer left a callback number, ignore it. Delete all emails from the scammer and mark them as spam.

Finally, notify your local courts and law enforcement agencies in your area. You can let your friends know to beware of the circulating scam as well.

Should you chose to believe the scam artist, and before you rush off to the bank, seek advice from a family member, a law enforcement friend, neighbor, or someone else you trust before you give money to these criminals.

As always, feel free to contact our office should you have any questions or concerns.

(Story courtesy Washington Co. Sheriff's Office)