Durham County officials are sounding the alarm after a slick phone scammer posing as a federal court official nearly convinced a local resident to fork over tens of thousands of dollars. The caller claimed there was an active arrest warrant, demanded immediate payment to avoid being taken into custody, and even sent over what looked like official court paperwork. The target avoided losing the money only after double-checking the supposed warrant with the Clerk of Courts.
According to a news release from the Durham County Sheriff's Office, the bogus document was packed with fake legal jargon and even misspelled “Surety” as “INSURITY,” a typo investigators flagged as a glaring red flag. The sheriff's office also warned that scammers are increasingly leaning on artificial intelligence to clone voices, making fake calls sound disturbingly real. Residents are urged not to share Social Security numbers, bank info, or any other personal data with unsolicited callers.
How The Scam Played Out
As reported by ABC11, the scammer told a Durham resident they owed $30,000 for allegedly failing to appear in federal court. While keeping the victim on the line, the caller sent over the fake arrest paperwork to crank up the pressure.
Officials stress that law enforcement agencies and courts do not demand immediate payment to avoid arrest. Requests for gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers are classic signs you are dealing with a scammer, not a judge or deputy.
How To Verify And Report
If a call like this comes in, the advice is simple: hang up, then independently look up the agency’s official phone number before calling back. Do not rely on any number the caller gives you.
The Durham County Sheriff's Office lists the courthouse main line at (919) 808-3000 and the sheriff’s non-emergency number at (919) 560-0900 for verification. Residents can also file consumer complaints with the North Carolina Attorney General's Office at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM for additional help.
The U.S. Courts similarly warns that legitimate courts do not call people to threaten arrest or demand payment over the phone and maintains public guidance on common jury-service scams.
A recent estimate from the Consumer Federation of America pegs annual losses from online scams at about $119 billion, with nearly $3 billion tied to criminals impersonating government agencies. Both national and local warnings land on the same point: taking a moment to verify a scary-sounding call can be the difference between hanging up and losing your savings.
“Scammers are constantly evolving their tactics, often impersonating trusted organizations to trick you into giving them money or personal information,” Sheriff Clarence F. Birkhead told ABC11. He urged residents, particularly older adults, to spread the word and to contact law enforcement if they believe they have been targeted.
