HUNTERDON COUNTY, NJ – A jury duty scam is making the rounds in Hunterdon County, and this time it cost one woman $1,500.
On Feb. 25, numerous scam calls were received, allegedly from the Hunterdon County Sheriff’s Office, telling people that they had failed to report for jury duty, Acting Hunterdon County Prosecutor Michael J. Williams said.
The caller stated that warrants were going to be issued for their arrest unless they paid a fee to avoid issuance. One woman paid $1,500 in green dot cards to avoid being arrested, Williams said.
“The Hunterdon County Sheriff’s Office will never contact anyone demanding money to avoid arrest. The IRS, Social Security, utility companies, or any other reputable company will not call demanding immediate payment. All citizens should be reminded to never give out any personal information or make any payments over the phone. Anyone receiving a scam call should contact their local police department to report the call,” Hunterdon County Sheriff Frederick W. Brown said.
Following a few simple precautions, most people can avoid becoming a victim of a confidence scheme.
- E-mails: Do not reply to unsolicited emails or links attached to e-mails.
- Telephone Callers: Do not engage in conversations with anyone you do not know, especially about
money. - Verify: If you are suspicious, contact the company or agency the caller allegedly represents by using the
official listing for their customer service. - Scare tactics are used by thieves to demand money or personal information. Do not simply accept as
valid telephone calls, e-mails, and threats concerning bad credit, police, arrest, investigation, or an audit
from an alleged governmental agency; you must verify. These are scams meant to scare unsuspecting
persons into hastily fulfilling such demands.
