The Berks County District Attorney’s Detectives have noted a recent increase in a telephone scam that specifically targets Berks County residents.
These scams typically involve a random telephone call notifying the potential victim that they failed to comply with a recent court subpoena or that they recently missed jury duty. In both scenarios, the caller often utilizes the name of an active member of the Berks County Sheriff’s Department and threatens legal action against the potential victim. In many instances, a telephone number assigned to the Berks County Sheriff’s Department is often spoofed to legitimize the call.
After being told that they failed to comply with a court subpoena or that they missed jury duty, the potential victims are told that because of this error, they will need to appear in court and may face imprisonment for up to 72 hours until this mater can be rectified.
Potential victims are then offered an alternative to imprisonment. This alternative is typically referred to as “the civil option” whereby a bond can simply be paid to immediately rectify this situation. If the “civil option” is chosen, the potential victim will be further instructed to take a predetermined amount of money to a cryptocurrency ATM machine, which are typically found in many supermarkets or convenience stores. Scammers often utilize cryptocurrency because these transactions are irreversible and extremely difficult to trace.
Since the perpetrators of this scam often utilize spoofed telephone numbers and the names of real sheriff deputies and judges in Berks County Court of Common Pleas, this scam can be extremely unnerving and very believable to potential victims.
The Berks County District Attorney’s Office reminds residents that the failure to comply with a court subpoena or the failure to attend jury duty will never result in the Berks County Sheriff’s office soliciting money over the telephone to rectify such a situation.
If you receive a call from a potential scammer, and prior to ever utilizing a cryptocurrency ATM to pay for a court fee or a “civil option”, residents should first contact their local police, the Berks County Sheriff’s Department, and/or the Berks County District Attorney’s office.
A complaint can be filed with the Federal Trade Commission via https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/Information or call them at; (202) 326-2222.
