Scammers Spoofing Johnston County Clerk Of Court Phone Numbers

SMITHFIELD – Johnston County Clerk of Superior Court Michelle Ball is warning residents about suspected scam calls that appear to originate from telephone numbers assigned to her office.

Ball said several citizens have reported receiving suspicious calls involving what appears to be the spoofing of direct telephone numbers used by the Clerk of Court’s Office.

“We are experiencing several citizens that have reported that scammers may be spoofing some of our direct line phone numbers,” Ball told The JoCoReport.

Phone spoofing allows scammers to disguise their actual telephone numbers and make calls appear to originate from legitimate businesses, government agencies or other trusted sources.

The practice can make fraudulent calls particularly convincing because the number displayed on a recipient’s phone may match an actual government office.

Similar scams have been reported across North Carolina and elsewhere in the United States.

In June, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson and Wake County Sheriff Willie Rowe warned residents about scammers impersonating law enforcement officers and using official telephone numbers to make fraudulent calls appear legitimate.

In those cases, callers falsely claimed residents had missed jury duty and faced arrest unless they immediately paid a fine.

Federal courts have also reported scammers using courthouse telephone numbers, the names of actual judges and law enforcement officers, and fraudulent arrest warrants to convince victims to provide money or personal information.

The North Carolina Department of Justice advises residents who receive suspicious calls to hang up and independently contact the agency the caller claims to represent. Residents should never provide Social Security numbers, banking information or credit card numbers to an unknown caller.

A telephone number appearing on caller ID is not proof that a call actually originated from that number.

Ball said her office has limited options to stop the spoofed calls.

Residents who receive suspicious calls claiming to be from the Johnston County Clerk of Court’s Office are encouraged to contact the office directly at 919-209-5400.

The office is located at the Johnston County Courthouse, 207 E. Johnston Street, Smithfield.