(FULSHEAR) – According to Fulshear police, some residents have recently received deceitful phone calls, where the caller falsely claims that the recipient failed to attend jury duty in Fort Bend County, leading to an impending arrest warrant.
The scam artist employs persuasive tactics, coercing the victim into believing that evading arrest is possible by making a payment. This payment might involve purchasing a prepaid card or being coerced to withdraw cash from the nearest ATM.
The scammers are utilizing authentic details about the victim, genuine court addresses and using law enforcement agencies names, in this case the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office. This approach lends an air of credibility to their scheme. In a further attempt to mislead, scammers might manipulate caller ID to display a counterfeit court phone number or the number of a government agency.
Police say that when the "spoofed" number is dialed, it leads to a recording affirming contact with the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office. However, these calls do not originate from the said office or any legitimate law enforcement entities. Therefore, it is essential not to share personal details, credit card information, prepaid card data, or money with the caller, officials said.
According to police, residents should consider the following if they receive a similar phone call:
Legitimate court jury summons are consistently sent through U.S. Mail.
Authentic court representatives and law enforcement will never insist on phone payments.
Genuine court officials and law enforcement agents will not request gift card numbers as a form of resolution for obligations.
If a prospective juror overlooks a jury summons, the court clerk's office will initiate contact via mail. Under specific circumstances, an order to appear before a judge might be issued. Such orders will be in written form and signed by the judge.
Imposing fines will only occur after the individual has appeared in court and had the opportunity to explain their situation. Any fines will be declared in an open court session and provided in written form. Importantly, fines will never be payable through gift card numbers.
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