Residents of St. Johns County should be on high alert for a new scam making the rounds, described as a faux call to duty that hits the wallet instead of civic pride. Scammers, exploiting the authority of the court system, have been targeting individuals via email and text message, impersonating the St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller's Office. These fraudulent communications scare recipients with a false claim that they've failed to report for jury duty and must immediately pay a fine.
The official warning highlights that such emails and texts often demand payment through popular digital wallets like CashApp and Venmo, a telltale sign that someone is trying wrongfully separate you from your money. In a clear statement on their website, the Clerk’s Office emphasized, "The Clerk’s Office will NEVER contact you by phone, email, or text to demand online payments for missing jury duty." It's a keen reminder that the digital age comes with a new breed of pickpockets, trading the shadowed alleyways for the backlit screens of our everyday lives.
Officials urge citizens to keep in mind that any legitimate communications from the Clerk’s Office regarding jury service will arrive via the tried and true method of U.S. Mail. No electronic messages should be trusted, particularly when they come with the pressure of immediate payment. It echoes the age-old wisdom that if it seems too aggressive to be government work, it's likely not government work at all.
For those who have received or might receive this type of scam message, the directive is clear: do not respond and most certainly do not send money. Instead, residents are encouraged to report the scam immediately to the authorities by calling the Clerk's office at 904-819-3600.
