04/18/2019
Yesterday, a close friend of mine, who is highly educated (and reasonably intelligent), almost got taken in by a scam. He received a phone call that he had missed jury duty and there was a warrant for his arrest. The Deputy told him that he could avoid being booked into jail by posting a bond. He was then directed to immediately go to the store and purchase a Green Dot card for $1,300. He was told to stay on the phone and if he hung up, he would also be charged with obstruction. The caller sounded very legitimate and he could even hear radio chatter in the background. It was only when the Deputy told him to give the numbers on the Green Dot card over the phone, that he really got suspicious that this might be a scam and he contacted me. I ended up with on a three way call with the "Deputy" and his answers to my questions did not add up, including the name of his supervisor and the name of the Judge signing the warrant (it was supposedly a Federal warrant signed by a State court judge). Even though I called him out on his inconsistencies, he remained calm and steadfast, but this was clearly a scam (which my friend later confirmed by calling the actual local Sheriff's office).
Here are some things to keep in mind:
1) The police do not contact people to tell them they have a warrant for their arrest. It kind of defeats the purpose having the person know they are wanted. Further, a warrant is an order signed by a judge that directs the police to take someone into custody - they don't have a choice of accepting a bond in lieu of arrest - they must go through the booking process.
2) The police will never demand bond, fines, or any other payment over the phone.
3) Green Dot cards are essentially electronic money orders and they are preferred by scam artists because they can easily be accessed and are very difficult to trace.
4) The police, the IRS, your utility company (or any other entity a fraudster may be posing as) will never require you to purchase a Green Dot card.
5) If someone threatens arrest or does whatever they can to keep you on the phone, then almost assuredly, it is a scam.
Stay vigilant people. My friend almost fell for this scam.
Talk to your family and friends and warn them. These scam artists are professionals and they can be very convincing - but don't fall for it. If you receive a call and fear it may be legitimate, call the local non-emergency number for your sheriff's office or police department. But never send money over the phone!
