The McDowell County Sheriff’s Office received a report this week from a community member involving a concerning new angle on the familiar “failure to appear for federal jury duty” scam.
The caller stated a smoke alarm in their home had activated prompting CPI to contact her and send local firefighters to respond to the residence.
Shortly after, someone falsely claiming to be with the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office called this person’s residence. The scammer stated he was “checking in” on the victim following the earlier incident and knew specific details about the alarm activation and fire department response, which made the call initially seem legitimate.
After gaining her trust, the scammer continued the conversation by claiming the victim had been charged with failing to appear for federal jury duty and attempted to convince her to send money.
Thankfully, she recognized the warning signs before losing any money.
It is not currently known how the caller obtained information about the earlier incident. The most likely explanation is that the scammer was monitoring publicly accessible fire/EMS radio traffic or an online scanner feed. If the dispatch included her address, name, the alarm activation or the alarm company, the scammer could have used that information immediately to make the call sound legitimate.
Please remember:
• The McDowell County Sheriff’s Office will never demand payment over the phone to avoid arrest.
• Never provide financial or personal information to an unsolicited caller.
• Do not send money, purchase gift cards, transfer cryptocurrency or follow instructions to withdraw cash.
• Caller ID can be manipulated to display the name or telephone number of a legitimate agency.
• Hang up and contact the Sheriff’s Office directly using a verified phone number.
Scammers use fear, urgency and personal information to gain your trust. Pause, hang up and verify.
