Pasco Sheriff’s Office is urging residents to be vigilant against a new wave of jury duty scams, where fraudsters impersonate officials to demand immediate payment for missed court dates.
PASCO COUNTY, Fla. – Pasco County residents are being targeted by sophisticated phone scams, with fraudsters claiming to be from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office and demanding payment for missed jury duty. The scammers often use technology to spoof official phone numbers, making the calls appear legitimate.
According to a recent alert from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office (PSO), the scammers will inform victims they have missed a jury duty summons and must pay a fine immediately to avoid arrest. To add to the deception, they may even use the name of a real PSO member. They then instruct the individual to send money through untraceable methods, like PayPal or other similar online payment services.
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The PSO wants to make it clear that they do not handle jury duty notifications or fines. Furthermore, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office will never contact individuals for payment to resolve any issue, criminal or otherwise. All official court communications regarding jury duty are handled by the Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller’s office and are typically sent via official mail.
Authorities are advising anyone who receives such a call to hang up immediately and not to provide any personal or financial information. If you have been targeted or have fallen victim to this scam, you are encouraged to report it to the Pasco Sheriff’s Office.
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