The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office is warning residents that con artists are posing as deputies on the phone and turning routine calls into high pressure shakedowns for cash and personal information. In a SCAM ALERT posted Thursday, the agency said the callers rely on fear tactics, falsely claiming things like missed jury duty or active warrants to manufacture a sense of urgency. Officials are urging anyone who gets one of these calls to hang up and verify the contact through official channels instead of any number the caller provides.
What the sheriff's office is saying
According to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, there has been an uptick in fraudulent calls aimed at county residents. The post spells out several bright red lines: the office will not call about a warrant, will not call about jury duty, will not collect money over the phone, will not ask for your personal information, and will not call or text you about an inmate. For any suspicious contact, residents are told to call #TeamSJSO at (904) 824-8304 to confirm a caller or document instead of taking the caller's word for it.
How the scam usually works
Scammers often claim you have missed jury duty or that a warrant has been issued, then demand immediate payment by gift card, wire transfer or cryptocurrency. The county clerk has flagged that tactic as fraudulent, noting that jury summons are mailed rather than delivered by phone. The St. Johns County Clerk's Office advises residents to check their jury status directly with the jury coordinator at (904) 819-3631 rather than respond to a payment demand, according to the clerk's office. Local media have also been sounding the alarm with consumer alerts in recent weeks, including a segment that shows how a pop up tech support scam can morph into a law enforcement impersonation call; News4JAX carried one such piece.
What to do if you get a call
If a caller claims to be from the sheriff's office and starts asking for money or sensitive information, hang up immediately and do not provide any details. Instead, verify the contact by calling the sheriff’s non-emergency line at (904) 824-8304, rather than using a number the caller gives you, as reported by Action News Jax. If you have already sent money, contact your bank right away and then file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.
Why to stay alert
Impersonation scams remain among the most reported types of fraud across the country, and federal officials say reported losses have climbed sharply as they roll out new enforcement tools. The Federal Trade Commission has highlighted recent actions under its Impersonation Rule and is urging people to report scams whenever they see them, as outlined in a press release from the FTC. Local and federal authorities alike say a healthy dose of skepticism toward unsolicited calls, plus using official phone numbers you look up yourself, remains the strongest defense.
