Residents are urged not to fall for it.
Historic Court House, Carroll County, Md
Westminster, Md (KM) If you receive a call claiming you have missed jury duty, and there’s a bench warrant for your arrest, you’re not alone. Heather Dewees, the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Carroll County, says a number of citizens have received these calls, which she says are scams. “The scammer’s phone number may show 410-386-8710, or 410-386-5900 because the caller has spoofed or manipulated the phone number to appear to be from the Clerk’s office or the Sheriff’s Office phone number,” she says.
Dewees says these phone calls are not form the Sheriff’s Office or the Circuit Court Clerk’s office. “The caller may announce that they are calling from the Carroll County Clerk’s Office and demand payment over the phone through cash apps or Zelle,” she says. “However, the Clerk’s Office does not accept payments through any mobile payment app. And my office does not handle jury duty. This is done through the Jury Commissioner.”
These scammers also say that the respondents can pay their fine over the phone, but Dewees says her office and the Sheriff’s Office does not take payment of fines over the telephone. :”The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office does not take payments through a machine for missing jury duty. And the Clerk’s Office will not call a person and tell them they have a bench warrant for their arrest. The Clerk’s Office communicates through the United States Post Office,,” she says.
Some scammers can call and claim to be actual employees of the Sheriff’s Office or Clerk’s Office, claiming you missed jury duty, and you need to pay a fine. “Please do not call back a number provided by a potential Scammer,: says Dewees.
If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office or the Clerk of the Circuit Court, and you’re concerned, Dewees says you can hang up. And then call the Sheriff’s Office or the Clerk’s Office using the phone number listed on their websites.
By Kevin McManus