Isle of Wight County Sheriff's officials warn of jury duty scam targeting citizens
Scammers call pretending to be sheriff's deputies and demand cryptocurrency payment for missed jury duty. The calls create fake legal pressure to extract money.
How it works
Callers phone residents and claim to be sheriff's deputies. They say the person missed jury duty and now owes a fine. They demand payment in cryptocurrency, which cannot be reversed or traced.
Red flags to watch for
- Caller claims to be sheriff or court official demanding immediate payment
- They insist you pay in cryptocurrency or gift cards
- The call creates urgency: pay now or face arrest
- Real courts and juries do not demand payment over the phone
- Legitimate agencies do not ask for crypto
What to do
Do not pay or send money in any form. Hang up and call your local sheriff's office directly using the number on their official website to verify whether you actually have a jury duty issue. If you received this call, report it to the local sheriff and to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
If this reached you
Source: WAVY10 Norfolk . Scam Sentinel summarizes this news report in plain language; it is a decision aid, not a guarantee.