BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) – West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is alerting consumers to an emerging jury duty scam with an alarming twist.
The Attorney General’s Office received a report from the West Virginia Fusion Center earlier this week regarding a jury duty fine scam that may include a potential personal safety element.
“Scammers are constantly devising new schemes to scare consumers into giving them their money,” Attorney General Morrisey said. “If you get a suspicious call, even if it comes from a number that looks legitimate, don’t feel pressured to act immediately. Pause and give our office a call — it might save you from potentially being scammed.”
Morrisey said a consumer in Kanawha County was contacted by a caller representing themself as being with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
The call appeared to come from a legitimate Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office telephone number because the caller had the consumer’s work location, home address, work and cell phone numbers, and potential relatives prior to the consumer providing any sort of information, according to Morrisey.
The caller told the consumer they had failed to appear for jury duty and had multiple warrants out for their arrest.
The consumer received instructions to meet at the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, in-person, and to bring $1,900 in bail money, to be paid either in cash or by debit card.
Morrisey said The West Virginia Fusion Center also recently received three…
