CHARLOTTE — The call came in. The caller left a message, identifying himself as Mecklenburg County Deputy James Ray; but Action 9 investigator Jason Stoogenke confirmed the County doesn’t have a deputy by that name.
We’ll call the victim Lisa -- she asked not to share her identity. Lisa says she called him back.
“So believable. He had an answer for every question I had,” Lisa said. “He proceeded to tell me that the reason for the call was that I had missed jury duty in January.”
And he texted her a warrant for her arrest, citing charges, including failure to appear, contempt of court, and avoidance of civil duty. The penalty: $9,300.
But there were red flags.
1. Texting: the government doesn’t text you a warrant.
2. The formatting is sloppy.
3. The warrant says U.S. District Court. But the so-called arresting officer is a deputy sheriff which is county, not federal.
4. Lisa says, “He went on to say they were not allowed to take checks, debit cards, credit cards, because of problems in the past. It needed to be cash,” which is not how real law enforcement operates.
She says the scammer demanded he stay on the phone while she and her husband rounded up the cash. Fortunately, the bank teller was all over it, called out the scam, and saved Lisa from falling victim.
“Be suspicious of everything and anything. It’s a different world that we live in,” she said.
Stoogenke says:
- If you miss jury duty, the court will mail you a letter. No one will call you.
- You’ll usually get a second chance. You’ll never have to pay a fine without a hearing first.
- If you miss the hearing, then you could face some penalty. But it’s never the first step.
So if you get one of these calls, hang up. If you think it’s legitimate, call the Court directly.
(VIDEO: Mecklenburg Co. saves jury duty reputation with week of fun)
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