The North Carolina Attorney General’s Office has issued the following Scam Alert. If you believe you have been the victim of a financial scam, review your options with the AG’s office.

Watch out for Wake County Jury Duty Scams

[North Carolina DOJ] has received reports of a scam targeting North Carolina residents. The scammer calls to say that the Wake County Sheriff’s office is putting out a warrant for call recipient’s arrest because of their failure to appear for jury duty, and then purportedly connects them to the Wake County Clerk’s Office to collect $1,800 or some amount of money to avoid jail time. 

This is a common scam that often takes a similar form, but there seems to be a particular uptick today in North Carolina. [NC DOJ] has shut down the call back number associated with this scam. Remember, neither the Sheriff’s office nor the Clerk of Court will call and demand a payment over the phone. If you receive a call, avoid getting scammed by following these tips:

• Hang up and call the office directly. Using a number listed on the Wake County Sheriff’s office website or the Wake County Clerk of Court’s website, you can ask if the call you received is legitimate.

• Never give your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number to someone you don’t know who calls you on the phone.

• Legitimate businesses do not require you to pay them in gift cards or cryptocurrency.

• A government agency will never call you on the phone to demand a payment.

• Call [the NC DOJ] at 877-5-NO-SCAM if you think you have been the victim of a scam.