PANAMA CITY – The Bay County Sheriff’s Office is warning the public about a new scam in Bay County.
The Sheriff’s Office has received several complaints about jury service fraud, prompting Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford to issue a warning.
The scam starts with a phone call to a victim saying he missed jury duty and has a warrant out for his arrest. The scammer then sends the victim an email with a fake order attached. They will insist that if the victim pays them a fine of thousands of dollars, the victim can avoid arrest.
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In a news release, the Sheriff’s Office said law enforcement will never call someone to let them know they have a warrant or send it via email. They would also never ask anyone to pay a fee to avoid arrest.
The Sheriff’s Office encourages residents to call 850-747-4700 if they receive a call about missing jury duty or having a warrant so they can investigate. Fraud investigators will assist where possible, and residents are further encouraged to contact local law enforcement if they believe they have been scammed.
This article originally appeared in The News Herald: Bay County sheriff warns of jury fraud using forged warrant
