ROCKINGHAM — An alleged would-be scammer attempted to con a local judicial official on Tuesday.
The Rockingham Police Department issued a social media post warning residents to be wary of an individual calling and claiming to be a captain with the agency.
The scammer, according to police, is attempting to solicit money by telling those on the other end of line that they missed court and owe a fine.
One of the scammer’s intended victims was District Court Judge Chevonne Wallace.
“I told him I did not miss court last week ‘cause I was the judge and was there!” Wallace said in a comment after sharing RPD’s post. “He hung up on me.”
Wallace also issued a warning of her own with her post.
“Please make sure your relatives, loved ones, (and) church members know that phone calls about jury duty, missed court, and money are scams!” Wallace said. “It’s also a crime to impersonate an LEO.”
Chief George Gillenwater said there have so far been no reported victims of the latest scam.
Local law enforcement agencies post scam warnings several times per year.
The Richmond County Sheriff's Office has reported several phone scams over the past several years involving the caller claiming to be a deputy telling the would-be victim that a fine is owed for missing jury duty.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, common scams involve the scammer pretending to be from the government, tech support, a utility company or a friend or family member who needs help.
Earlier this year, investigators with the Hamlet Police Department charged a Canadian with being involved in a scam of posing as the victim’s grandson, claiming to be in jail.
Court records show the defendant “pled in another file number” on March 24.
Last month, Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey warned of a scam that "targets families of inmates, where an impersonator will call a family member of a fellow inmate and demand they pay a percentage of bond by a cell phone app, such as Chime, Apple Pay or Venmo in return for an earlier release from their sentence."
According to the Department of Insurance, that type of scam has been reported in at least a dozen counties.
“We’ve seen several different variations of this scam where those in jail obtained a cell phone either through another person or by drone drop off,” Causey said in a press release. “We are asking the public to be aware of this scam, and to never send money to a bail bondsman over the phone without checking with DOI first.”
Interpol calls phone scams a “transnational threat,” noting that “perpetrators often operate from a different country or even continent than their victims.”
According to a 2020 press release, Interpol coordinated a yearlong, worldwide investigation that led to more than 10,000 raids, more than 20,000 arrests and the interception of more than $150 million in illicit funds across 35 nations through Operation First Light.
The N.C. Attorney General’s office offers the following tips to avoid becoming a scam victim:
Anyone suspecting scam activity is encouraged to file a complaint with their local law enforcement agency; contact the N.C. Consumer Protection Division at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM; or file a complaint with the FCC or FTC.
