×

U.S. Marshals warn Mississippians about phone scam

By Kaitlin Howell Aug 26, 2023 | 9:23 AM

JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The U.S. Marshals in the Southern District of Mississippi are warning neighbors about an imposter phone scam. They said con artists are calling the public and attempting to scare them into sending money.

“In the recent weeks we have seen an increase of impersonators calling the public and using names of actual law enforcement officers and federal judges informing the public they have missed jury duty and a fine or bond must now be paid” said Chief Deputy Shermaine Sullivan, of the Southern District of Mississippi.

“Our office is aware of these calls from scammers and are actively checking into the source of the calls” Sullivan said. “We want to encourage the public to reach out in any questionable scenario of receiving a call or written notice regarding paying money to avoid arrest.”

Mississippians can report the calls to their local FBI office, U.S. District Court Clerk’s office, and file a consumer complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which has the ability to detect patterns of fraud from the information collected and share that data with law enforcement.

During the calls, scammers attempt to collect a fine in lieu of arrest for failing to report for jury duty or other offenses. They ten tell victims they can avoid arrest by sending money or by bringing money to a location the scammer provides.

Authorities said the scammers use many tactics to sound credible. They sometimes provide information like badge numbers, names of actual law enforcement officials and federal judges, and courthouse addresses.

If you believe you were a victim of such a scam, you are encouraged to report the incident to your local FBI office and to the FTC.

Things to remember:

  • U.S. Marshals will never ask for credit/debit card/gift card numbers, wire transfers, or bank
    routing numbers for any purpose.
  • Don’t divulge personal or financial information to unknown callers.
  • Report scam phone calls to your local FBI office and to the FTC.
  • You can remain anonymous when you report.
  • If scammer provides a court order, authenticate the call by calling the clerk of the court’s office of the U.S. District Court in your area and verify the court order given by the caller.