New Scam Warns of ‘Grand Jury’ Perpetrators

An official scam warning from the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office was released on Friday, September 19th, and this one may throw people for a bit of a loop.

If you're feeling like it is a never-ending cycle of one scam warning after the next, you're not alone. With each passing day, the ways in which people are trying to get others to share sensitive information and/or send money is alarming.

Get our free mobile app

Grand Jury Scam Warning Issued in Dutchess County

Dutchess County Sheriff Kirk Imperati's Office issued a scam warning regarding warrants and Grand Jury-posing perpetrators requesting money.

In the latest scam the perpetrators pose as Deputies from the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, they contact the victim and tell them that they or a family member failed to appear for Grand Jury and as a result are wanted on a warrant. The perpetrators then tell the victim that they can satisfy the warrant by paying a sum of money.

The Sheriff's Office indicated that this type of scam has been circulating in the area, as perpetrators are posing as members of the DC Sheriff's Office.

A common theme among scammers is creating an emotionally triggering situation, like a family member of friend being hurt, in jail, in need of immediate financial assistance. The elaborate story when combined with the personal connection factor can lead to trouble.

SEE ALSO: Amazon's October 1st Changes And How This Impacts Shoppers

General Scam Tips & Best Practices

As always, we need to stay vigilant and look out for members of the community that may be at risk for falling for scams. The Dutchess County Sheriff's Office has shared some general tips to help people avoid these type of scam situations. Some of these tips include:

• never meeting up with someone you don't know after they have reached out to you for money; contact from someone you're unfamiliar with who asks you to maintain confidentiality should lead you to thinking it is a scam.
• remembering that actual law enforcement would never attempt to 'satisfy a warrant' by asking for money or making promises regarding outcomes.
• watch for spelling or grammatical errors in emails or messages, and the timing the messages are being sent.
• messages about an order you didn't place asking you to send money is likely a scam, as is someone asking you to make a purchase, transfer funds, allow remote computer access or click on a code or link.
• be mindful of calls indicating that you've won money, especially if you're instructed to process a claim or send any money in advance of claiming your win.

The best practice is to be aware of messages and emails you may be receiving, take a look at links before clicking, never communicate with, share information with, and especially don't send money to anyone you don't know, and contact the Sheriff's Office if you have any questions or concerns about the validity of a request.

PHOTO

In Dutchess County, there is a tip line and email address for those who think they may have been the victim of a scam. You can contact the Sheriff’s Office at 845-486-3800 or via the tipline at 845-605-CLUE or dcsotips@gmail.com.