- Scammers impersonate law enforcement, claiming missed jury duty or arrest warrants, and demand immediate payment via gift cards or apps like Venmo.
- Gainesville Police advise residents to verify any claims independently and report scams to the FTC or local non-emergency law enforcement numbers.
Residents are being warned about a scam involving phone calls from individuals falsely claiming to be law enforcement officers and telling victims they have missed jury duty or have an active arrest warrant.
According to a Gainesville Police Department (GPD) Facebook release posted on Friday, scammers may use the names and badge numbers of actual law enforcement officers and spoof caller ID numbers to make their calls appear legitimate. They often demand immediate payment to avoid arrest, requesting gift cards, prepaid cards, wire transfers, payment apps such as Venmo or Zelle, or cryptocurrency.
Scammers also may instruct victims to remain on the phone, tell them not to hang up or contact anyone else, or direct them to drive to a local police department.
Residents should not follow these instructions, send money or provide personal information.
Anyone who is concerned there may actually be an issue involving jury duty or an arrest warrant should independently look up the phone number for the appropriate local court or law enforcement agency and contact the agency directly.
Scams can also be reported to the Federal Trade Commission or a local law enforcement agency’s non-emergency number.
No legitimate law enforcement agency will call and demand payment over the phone to avoid arrest, the release stated.
If you receive a suspicious call, hang up. Do not allow scammers to use threats or intimidation to pressure you into making a payment or providing personal information.