Nassau County Sheriff’s Office Press Release
Submitted by Bill Leeper, Sheriff
“The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office is warning citizens about a financial scam involving jury service
The scam involves citizens being contacted by phone and being told they must pay a fine for failing to appear for jury duty. In some cases, they are told they will face arrest if a payment is not made.
Court personnel generally do not make unsolicited phone calls in regards to jury service, nor do they make calls in an attempt to collect on fines or fees or to notify anyone of a failure to appear. Correspondences directly from the Clerk’s Office are done primarily through the mail. Court personnel do not make calls with the intent of threatening arrest.
Anyone who receives a phone call similar to this scam should take extreme caution and should not provide any identification or financial information. Those who receive such a call should document what they can (such as Caller ID info) and contact law enforcement. Residents can contact the Clerk’s Office to verify if they owe any fines or fees.
Law enforcement and court employees never request payment over the telephone and never request personal financial information.
“The callers are criminals and the only way to stop them is to just hang up,” said Sheriff Bill Leeper. “Write down what was said, think about it and contact the agency or office the caller claimed to represent to make them aware of the call. Do not fall victim to their pressure.”
The scam has been reported throughout the country and has surfaced in the federal court’s South Florida district. The Nassau County Clerk of Courts has had one such case reported to its office, the only known occurrence on the First Coast.”
March 8, 2014