Nextdoor上好几个人近几天都遇到了类似的电诈骗局，说他们错过了当陪审员的义务，犯了罪要罚款。 FOX 29’s Chris O’Connell caught up with a King of Prussia woman who fell victim to the scam, losing over $6,000 before realizing the deception. The woman - who we will refer to as ‘Cheryl’ - did not want to be identified, but wanted to share her story to warn others. What we know: Last week, Cheryl received a phone call from someone claiming to be from the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, using what appeared to be a real county phone number. When she called back, the caller informed her that she had missed federal jury duty and there was a warrant for her arrest. Unfamiliar with the jury system, Cheryl was instructed not to hang up until she paid a $15,000 fine. The scammers stayed on the phone with her for nearly three hours, directing her to withdraw money from her bank and wire it through a machine at a local gas station. What they're saying: Cheryl says the entire encounter left her scared, traumatized, and angry. She recounted how the scammers used authoritative language to convince her of the urgency and legitimacy of the situation, saying, "They were using certain terms and words that made me feel like it was truly a major issue and I was going to jail," Cheryl recalled. "I stopped myself 6 times in the whole process thinking this is totally a scam. And every single time I got to that point they became more authoritative," she added, "Threatening to the point you will be in trouble you will be arrested." It wasn’t until after she wire $6,430 that she realized she was scammed and called Upper Merion Police. "They’re hiding behind Montgomery County’s phone numbers, they’re hiding behind Montgomery County, actually Sheriff Sean Killkenny’s name and they are using real badge numbers," Cheryl said added. Big picture view: The Montgomery County Sheriff's office has issued a warning on its website about the scam, highlighting that Cheryl is not the only victim. Other individuals have also been targeted, with one losing $25,000. The Federal Trade Commission advises skepticism towards unsolicited calls, especially those demanding immediate payment. They recommend verifying information independently and never providing payment or banking details over the phone.
FOX 29’s Chris O’Connell caught up with a King of Prussia woman who fell victim to the scam, losing over $6,000 before realizing the deception. The woman - who we will refer to as ‘Cheryl’ - did not want to be identified, but wanted to share her story to warn others. What we know: Last week, Cheryl received a phone call from someone claiming to be from the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, using what appeared to be a real county phone number. When she called back, the caller informed her that she had missed federal jury duty and there was a warrant for her arrest. Unfamiliar with the jury system, Cheryl was instructed not to hang up until she paid a $15,000 fine. The scammers stayed on the phone with her for nearly three hours, directing her to withdraw money from her bank and wire it through a machine at a local gas station. What they're saying: Cheryl says the entire encounter left her scared, traumatized, and angry. She recounted how the scammers used authoritative language to convince her of the urgency and legitimacy of the situation, saying, "They were using certain terms and words that made me feel like it was truly a major issue and I was going to jail," Cheryl recalled. "I stopped myself 6 times in the whole process thinking this is totally a scam. And every single time I got to that point they became more authoritative," she added, "Threatening to the point you will be in trouble you will be arrested." It wasn’t until after she wire $6,430 that she realized she was scammed and called Upper Merion Police. "They’re hiding behind Montgomery County’s phone numbers, they’re hiding behind Montgomery County, actually Sheriff Sean Killkenny’s name and they are using real badge numbers," Cheryl said added. Big picture view: The Montgomery County Sheriff's office has issued a warning on its website about the scam, highlighting that Cheryl is not the only victim. Other individuals have also been targeted, with one losing $25,000. The Federal Trade Commission advises skepticism towards unsolicited calls, especially those demanding immediate payment. They recommend verifying information independently and never providing payment or banking details over the phone.