Victim reveals how he paid $2K to scammers in ultra-convincing jury duty hoax – after 2-hour phone call where criminals threatened to ARREST his wife for ‘missing’ court dates and recited REAL case numbers
When Dave King’s wife Sarah told him that the police had called and said a warrant had been issued for her arrest, his first instinct was that it was a scam.
Sarah said a cop was on the phone and she was threatened with arrest for missing jury duty – and the only way out was to pay a hefty fine.
But during a two-hour ordeal during which he spoke to a “sergeant” who was able to rattle off numerous details, including addresses and file numbers, the criminals were able to convince Dave to transfer $2,000 directly to their bank account.
“They had Sarah’s date of birth, her driving license details and her maiden name,” Dave, 45, an aerospace engineer, told DailyMail.com. ‘We had just sold a house and they had both our old address and our new address. They had everything.”
But the couple, who live with their four children in Mims, Florida, are certainly not alone. Earlier this month, a top judge issued a new warning about a spike in this vicious scam, which is affecting Americans across the country.
Dave King and his wife Sarah were targeted by scammers and eventually handed over $2,000
Fraudsters pose as police or court officials and cold-call victims, claiming they have not appeared before the jury.
Scammers demand that a fine be paid – in the hundreds or thousands of dollars – to avoid arrest.
And what Dave said applies to others. Victims have reported how the crooks are exceptionally persuasive: they provide personal information about the victim and real names of federal judges, court personnel, or case and badge numbers.
If the victim says they didn’t have to do jury duty, they could shoot back that the letters were sent on certain dates.
The scammer told Dave that there was a subpoena with Sarah’s signature on it.
“I interviewed him for an hour and a half and he had all the answers,” Dave said. ‘Not even a hesitation. He had the address of our Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, and the number he called from was the correct law enforcement number.
“I was on my computer and I was Googling while I was talking to him. We were terrified, so we tried to research the process. Everything has been checked,” he said.
In addition to finding out details, the scammers also relied heavily on the growing panic Sarah and Dave felt.
“Sarah was in tears and visibly shaking,” Dave said. “They told her that if she didn’t stay on the phone with them and they didn’t comply immediately, they would send the police to our house and arrest her in front of our children.
“She didn’t want our kids to see her handcuffed and put in the back of a police car.”
The fraudsters said that if she went anywhere in public, she would be sent to jail – and the only way to ensure that was to post a $1,750 ‘bail’ and a $250 fine for late payment.
Fraudsters pose as police or court officials and call victims – claiming they have failed to appear for jury duty
The criminals persuaded Dave to drive to the local Wells Fargo, where they persuaded him to send the money to a fictitious bank account while they kept him on the phone.
‘I was visibly angry on the couch with him on the phone. Towards the end he acted like he was my buddy and said he would help take care of it. But as soon as the money came in, the line went dead.’
Dave talked about how he felt completely violated by the experience.
He reported the matter to the bank and to the local police, but little came of the case.
Although this happened in April 2020, authorities have warned that this scam has increased in recent months.
An 18-year-old victim told in November last year how she was ‘crying’ and ‘shaking’ after receiving a similar call and being scammed out of $750.
The TikTok user, who passes by March and lives in Arizona, said in a video how the experience left her terrified.
‘I am an 18-year-old student. “I didn’t want anyone to have to bail me out of jail,” she said.
An 18-year-old victim told online how she was ‘crying’ and ‘shaking’ after being told she had missed jury duty and would therefore have to pay off ‘two misdemeanors’ worth $750.
a warning Earlier this month, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Florida moved after receiving a spike in calls from victims about the scam — but said it was a “nationwide” scam.
Officials said some fraudsters ask the victim to purchase a prepaid debit or gift card, while others ask them to make an electronic payment to pay the “fine.”
They told the Americans that under no circumstances will a court official, the US Marshals Service or any other government employee contact anyone and demand payment or personal information by telephone or email.
Chief District Judge Timothy Corrigan said: “If you receive a telephone call from someone claiming to be a judge or other court official, do not give them your credit card or other financial information.
“The court values the citizens who are called for jury duty and always strives to treat them with respect.”
Roger B. Handberg, the U.S. attorney for the district, added, “This scam works by attempting to create a false sense of urgency that you must pay money immediately to avoid arrest. Don’t fall for it.
“Hang up the phone and report the call to the appropriate federal authorities instead.”
If there’s one thing Dave wants people to take away from what happened to him, it’s that no official authority will ever contact you by phone this way.
“They completely fooled me,” he said. I want to emphasize that if it is over the phone, it must be a scam.”