Scams are constantly evolving. The grandparent scam is still around, unfortunately. A recent scam in Montgomery County involves a fake warrant for missing jury duty.

This week, a woman got a call at work on her work phone from someone claiming to be from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

They told her “that she has missed jury duty and owed money in the sum of $6,000 and they told her that she had to go to her vehicle and drive to a certain location and they were going to track her and wanted her bank account information and she could pay anywhere up to that $6,000 that she had available immediately so we didn’t come arrest her on a warrant,” said Montgomery County Sheriff Jeffery Smith.

“We don’t collect money. We don’t ask you to pay money. If there’s a warrant for someone, we’re going to try to find you ourselves and take you into custody.”

Sheriff Smith says never give out personal or financial information on a call that you did not initiate. If you’re concerned, hang up and call the agency directly yourself.

Scammers are convincing. They do their research. There’s usually a sense of urgency, and in this case they tried hard to keep the woman on the phone.

“I assume because they didn’t want her to get suspicious and talk to other people and have them talk her out of it,” said Sheriff Smith. “I think they were trying to take advantage of the heat of the moment. This girl was very upset. She was crying and thought she had done something wrong and really was– in the beginning– willing to pay some of this money. Thankfully, she didn’t.”

“If they did as much work in an actual job as they do trying to take advantage of people and their hard-earned money, this world would be a much better place. They’re very convincing. They do their research ahead of time. They know what to say, what to ask for, and sadly, they’re successful many times.”

“I encourage everyone to always contact your local law enforcement,” said the sheriff. “That’s what we’re here for. If you have a question, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about, don’t be afraid. Call us and get the best advice that you could possibly get.”