Sheriff’s Office Warns Of Jury Duty Scam After Residents Lose Thousands

JOHNSTON COUNTY – The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents to stay vigilant after two victims lost thousands of dollars to scammers posing as law enforcement officers.

Investigators are looking into two separate incidents in which suspects impersonated sheriff’s deputies, claiming their victims had missed jury duty and faced arrest unless they paid large sums of money.

The first incident occurred on October 17, when a 62-year-old Clayton man received a call from someone identifying himself as Sergeant Adams with the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office. The caller claimed the victim had missed jury duty and that three misdemeanor charges had been filed. To avoid arrest and have the charges expunged, the victim was instructed to purchase $5,000 in gift cards and deposit another $5,000 into a Bitcoin machine. The victim complied before realizing he had been scammed—a total loss of $10,000.

A second incident took place on October 20, also involving a Clayton resident. The 31-year-old woman told investigators she received a call from a man claiming to be a deputy with the sheriff’s office. The caller sounded convincing and even spoofed caller ID to display “County of Johnston” and the sheriff’s office’s main number.

The victim was told she could avoid arrest for failing to appear for jury duty by wiring five separate payments of $999 to a specific bank account. She followed the instructions, losing $4,995 in the process.

Sheriff’s officials emphasize that deputies will never demand money, gift cards, or cryptocurrency to avoid arrest or clear a warrant. Anyone receiving such a call should hang up immediately and contact the sheriff’s office directly at 919-989-5010 or reach out to their local law enforcement agency.

In a separate but similar scam, reported on October 20, a 36-year-old Johnston County resident lost $4,500 after receiving a call from someone claiming to be a loan officer. The scammer had the victim’s personal information, including their Social Security number, and convinced them to send payment through a cash app. The victim later discovered it was a fraud.

Authorities urge residents to be cautious when receiving unsolicited calls requesting money or personal information and to verify the legitimacy of any claims before sending funds.