Fraud Alert: Johnston County Jury Duty Scam Using Name Of Real Officer

JOHNSTON COUNTY – The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office is urging residents to be aware of a jury duty scam. Officers have received multiple calls today (Wednesday) from citizens saying they have received calls from scammers attempting to take their money.

The fraudster states they have a warrant for the arrest of the citizen for failing to appear for jury duty in Johnston County. To avoid being arrested, they request you obtain pre-paid gift or debit cards and provide them with the card numbers to have the warrant retracted.

The scammers are using the name of Captain Jeff Caldwell, who is a real officer with the sheriff’s office. The callers are authoritative and sound convincing, but they are fake.

Sheriff’s officials say this is a widespread scam and that law enforcement will never ask anyone to pay money over the telephone or pay with a pre-paid card only.

If you receive a call from a scammer demanding money for a jury duty warrant, or for any other alleged fraudulent activity, you can report it to the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office at 919-989-5000, or your nearest law enforcement agency.