The Grayson County Sheriff’s Office is warning the public of a scam circling the community.
According to police, a Grayson County resident received a phone call saying they had missed a Federal Court subpoena or failed to report for jury duty and a warrant was issued for their arrest.
Police say the citizen was legitimately chosen for federal jury duty a few days prior, but “thought” that it had been canceled.
The person that called stated he was Deputy Clark with the Sheriff’s Office and needed this citizen to complete some paperwork.
The victim of the scam then left work and was not seen or heard from for a couple of hours before police were notified.
Friends and co-workers of the victim made contact with “Deputy Clark” from a number that was left on the desk of the victim. They were told she was with him in his car and they were filling out paperwork concerning the missed federal court date. However, the “Deputy” hung up on them when they asked to speak with her and began to ask further questions.
Police say they immediately started the process to track her phone at the same time family members were tracking her on the way to Elizabethtown on Life360.
The Grayson County Sheriff’s Office immediately dispatched police units to a grocery store in Elizabethtown, which was where Life360 showed as her location.
A Kentucky State Trooper spotted her vehicle in the parking lot and went inside the store where she had already sent the scammer some money. He stopped her before she sent the entire requested amount.
Police later learned the victim never had in person contact with the scammer. All of the contact was done verbally over the phone. Police also learned she was instructed to not use her phone, accept calls, make calls or she would be arrested because her phone was being tracked.
“This was a unique situation as this is the first time to my knowledge that the scammer said he was with the victim. That sent up alarm flags with her friends and even law enforcement because she was not answering her phone. However, she was never with him,” The Grayson County Sheriff’s Office stated in a Facebook post. “I have made many posts about current scams going on in our community, our state and in our nation. With the increase in Technology and AI they are becoming more and more elaborate. The caller ID on the scammers phone showed up as the Grayson County Detention Center. However, that is what we call spoofing. Someone can make a phone call and make the caller id appear as the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office or even the FBI.”
Grayson County Sheriff’s Office says no law enforcement agency will ever threaten you with arrest for not showing up for court or missing a court date and then ask you to go get money to pay the fine, unless it is in an open courtroom, and you are speaking face-to-face to the judge. They will also never ask you to send money over the phone to satisfy any court judgment, or ask you to go somewhere to pay in bitcoin, or any other money app.
Police also say there was a second attempt by the same person to get another citizen at another location using the same scenario. The second time was unsuccessful.
If you are ever unsure about any anyone that calls you regarding sending money over the Internet or other avenue, call and speak directly to the sheriff or other law-enforcement person that you know personally before you send any money or giving out personal information.
Source: WBKO
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