Scammer Impersonates Deputy, Demands Payment

Another scam is going around the area, and this time people are being told they have missed jury duty.

The McCracken County Sheriff's Department says several people have reportedly received the calls and at least one person fell victim to the scam. 

The caller tells the potential victim they have missed a jury duty assignment and there is now a warrant for their arrest. 

Detective Matt Carter told West Kentucky Star the victim received a call from what appeared to be a local telephone number and the caller identified himself using the name of a member of the Sheriff's Department. That information, combined with the fact that the caller had no accent, led the victim to believe the call was legitimate.  

The caller said the victim could avoid arrest by sending payment using a financial service provided by a local Kroger store. 

Carter said police will never call about a warrant or ask for payments over the phone. He said scammers are becoming more sophisticated and can provide bogus information that seems very convincing. 

Carter said anyone who gets a call like this should never do what is demanded without investigating. He encouraged anyone to call the department to get confirmation before giving any information or sending money to potential scammers.