The Cobb District Attorney Flynn D. Broady, Jr. has issued a warning regarding a new scam that is targeting defendants and their attorneys in the metro Atlanta area, in which fraudsters impersonate prosecutors from the DA's office, as reported on the official website of Cobb County. These scammers, posing with fraudulent authority, have been reaching out to unsuspecting individuals via email with offers to settle court fines and costs in exchange for closing cases and expunging records, a practice that is not only unethical but also illegal.
In a statement that echoes with the specificity of truth, "Attorneys and their clients should be suspicious of emails asking for money to pay court costs and fines in exchange for closing a case and record expungement," Broady cautioned, and it is important to note the detail here, as the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office does not request payments through electronic communications and would never solicit funds as a condition for case resolution. This enlightenment on the situation brings a necessary clarity to those potentially ensnared by such deceitful tactics.
Those amongst us who have received such dubious solicitations are urged to neither send money nor disclose any sensitive information without conducting proper verification, an act of due diligence that serves not just the individual but the collective moral fabric of our society. For those entangled in an ongoing legal battle, the advice is clear: reach out directly to your attorney or the prosecuting agency directly for confirmation of any such financial demands. The Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division, which can be accessed through cobbcounty.org, should be your resource for further education on imposter scams.
The DA's office is emphatic in its statement: "The Cobb County District Attorney’s Office does not solicit payments via email and will never ask for payment to close a case," and while this should bring some measure of assurance, the onus still falls heavy on each individual to be vigilant and proceed with caution should they encounter such illicit communications, to this extent a report filed with local law enforcement is not just a recommended course of action, it is a civic imperative. The fallibility of human judgment underlines the importance of these warnings and in heeding them, we gird ourselves against the machinations of those who trade in deception.
