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.