Don’t believe it; it’s a scam.
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has received a handful of reports recently from residents who said they received a suspicious telephone call from someone claiming to be a law enforcement officer from CCSO.
In one of the reports, the victim told deputies that the caller told her she was in contempt of court for failing to appear for a jury hearing. The caller told the victim she had to pay a fine to avoid being arrested.
The caller instructed the victim to go to a local store and get two money orders in the amounts of $496.83 and $374.54 and to utilize a pre-paid debit card process.
The caller advised the victim he would call back for the pin numbers.
The caller threatened to send a police car to the victim’s house if the fine wasn’t paid immediately.
CCSO encourages residents to report this type of activity immediately.
Deputies would also like to remind residents that members of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office will never contact you by telephone about missing jury duty. Deputies will never ask you to obtain a prepaid credit card to pay a fine to avoid arrest or ask you for your own personal credit/debit card information, to include the pin number and any other identifying information over the telephone.
For assistance with any suspicious encounter involving a request for money or personal information, contact the Collier County Sheriff’s Office’s Call Before You “Pay” hotline – (239) 252-CALL (2255). The hotline is staffed by a CCSO deputy in the Financial Crimes Bureau between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
