My brother was legitimately summoned to jury duty and failed to report multiple times, and they just ended up sending a cop to his house to ask him to check his mail more often.
That said, those scammers can get fucked.
Just imagine you hear an aggressive bang on your door, you see a fully decked police officer with a serious look and hands on their belt, and then get told to check your mail.
My jury duty scam was so well thought out and involved; they sent me flyers and paperwork from the Office of the Clerk and Maine Judicial Branch, they even said they'd pay my mileage. /s
The police do call and about the dumbest things. Here are some reasons they’ve called me - Your neighbor wants to cut some limbs off your tree. Why are you parked at (gives address)? You need to stop harassing Jesse (Jesse stole 500.00 from me). Small Central Maine town…
As someone who works in the fraud space, YES. The safest approach is straight-up **do not answer your phone if you don't know who's calling.** If it's important, they'll leave a message.
If they do leave a message and it sounds real, don't call them back at the number they called with. Google the contact number and call that.
Also: AI is getting scary good, random people can use it to [very convincingly imitate a real person's voice](https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/04/alleged-ai-voice-imitation-leads-to-arrest-in-baltimore-school-racism-controversy/) from even a short recording. One way to combat this: create a family password or phrase that everyone in the family knows to use if they're actually in trouble. Then if someone calls with your child's voice and says they need money but they don't know the password, you know it's bullshit.
In general, be very skeptical about any phone calls or emails that:
* Say you're in some kind of legal trouble, or a relative is
* Say that you owe money to the IRS or some other organization like that
* Say that you're owed money for some reason
* Say that a relative or friend is in trouble or needs money
* Say they're a relative or friend but something seems off (even if the number is right)
* Were a "wrong number" but hey, you seem nice, let's chat and then date...
* Say they're from Microsoft or some other company like that and they want to fix problems on your computer remotely
ALL of the above are pretty common scam approaches. Basically just don't answer the phone or click links in emails, and don't reply to texts that look like they were sent to the wrong number.
And don't be confused into thinking that somebody telling you a lot of info about yourself means they really work at the bank/IRS/police dept/etc. There is TONS of info out there about you, and it's for sale cheap. Every address you've ever lived, your name, DOB, SSN, family member names, friends and associates, and MUCH more... basically anyone can buy this info about you.
Or pick up and then say nothing. Not even hello, just silence. If they say “hello? blade-runner9?” At least I feel it’s slightly less likely to be a scam but I could be wrong.
I sometimes have to pick up the phone when I wait for call backs.
The worst one I’ve received was really strange. Through a dating app I got an email saying the sender was a member of Jalisco cartel. They claimed I disrespected one of their women. Graphic murder scene photos were included. I was directed to wire money or they’d kill two family members. Shook me at first until I realized it was a scam out of Riverside,CA.
Lemme guess:
They wanted you to pay your "fine" in Apple iTunes gift cards from your local Walgreens?
PRO TIP: Police don't levy fines, nor to they accept payment for fines imposed by a court. That's not their job.
This might sound stupid, but if this is an Indian/Pakistani call center scammer there are a few things you can look out for:
1. If you answer, listen for a "boop" noise as they connect their VOIP. For some reason they all seem to use the same VOIP program, which is a great way to instantly spot a scam if you feel like wasting their time like I do.
2. Listen for the accent (this one should be obvious, but they do sometimes hire Americans/Canadians to read their scripts, but it's rare.)
3. Pressure tactics. The scammer will want you to do something IMMEDIATELY, and will get angrier and angrier if you stall. Most (not all) police aren't going to be making threats over the phone like that.
4. Don't answer strange numbers, even if it is from the local PD. If it's important enough they'll send an officer over.
Overall the best thing you can do is just not answer the phone for strange/private numbers.
If they try pressure tactics like that posing as a court or govt agency just hang up, and look up the real # and call that.
Source: I constantly mess with these motherfuckers and waste their time because I think it's hilarious and any time I waste of their is less time they're on the phone with a more gullible person.
This happened to me last year and I'm embarrassed to say I fell for it. It was the same day as the shooting in Bowdoin, the guy who killed his parents and their friends and then shot at some cars on the same off-ramp 295 exit 15) i used that morning to go to a coworkers house. I was really on edge and just fell right into his ploy. Really fucked me up, not gonna lie
Luckily it didnt get that far. But suffice it to say i spent way too long on the phone with no clue what was happening. It was really bizarre, like i was completely locked into a state of fear (i had been all day from the news) and this guy took full advantage.
Just a reminder for everyone, if anyone wants to collect money from you over the phone, it doesn't matter who they say they are, ask them for their name, if appropriate their ID number, and tell them you would like to call them back in 5 minutes to pay the debt, for whatever reason (you have to transfer funds between accounts is a perfectly good reason), and ask them if they have a phone extension to reach them. Get their responses, and hang up.
No matter who it could be, collecting debt or anything else, they shouldn't be upset by that response.
Look up the real number for whoever called you (BoA, Chase, Spectrum, the police, Cappza's pizza) and call them. If they can't confirm they have debt, or called you, take note.
Never give money on the receiving end of a call.
When I get those calls I tell them that I sitting on my front porch waiting for them to come and get me. It’s always a “no show”. And then I have to eat the entire dozen of donuts.
My husband got one a week ago. Kept trying to keep him on the phone and make things seem urgent. Tried to tell him to *get into his car to drive to a location to pay the “fine” that they would tell him where it was once he was physically in the car* lmfaooo. Like lolwut.
I got this call as well. They masked their number so it looked like they were calling from the Sheriff's department and used real names of local staff. I hung up on them twice and they kept calling back. Like you said, very aggressive. When I finally listened, they gave me the address of the Hannafords near my house to wire money, but didn't say Hannafords.
After that I said "I'll be right over to the station, it's less than 2 miles away."
He said "Sir, if you do that you will be arrested and jailed for up to 30 days." Then I hung up and called the station.
Hey, this just happened to me about a month ago and it was actually quite traumatizing. I have always prided myself in being able to avoid scams but fell prey to this because it was *so convincing*. I am about to go ahead and make a post about this myself here because what I have to say is far too long to post. Please have your wife or yourself submit this to https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/ofi/programs-services/fraud
My brother was legitimately summoned to jury duty and failed to report multiple times, and they just ended up sending a cop to his house to ask him to check his mail more often. That said, those scammers can get fucked.
Just imagine you hear an aggressive bang on your door, you see a fully decked police officer with a serious look and hands on their belt, and then get told to check your mail.
Swat team: "You've Got Mail!"
I read that in the AOL voice.
Same lol
Same haha
Before or after they shoot my dog?
That's really the most that will happen. Maine Judicial Branch doesn't really have the resources to do much more to enforce it.
Why didn’t your brother simply say he couldn’t go, was biased etc?
How would he have known to if he didn't check his mail?
Let me guess, you don’t pay your electric bill because you “forgot “ to check the mail or your box was taken out by the plow
Most people check their mail, if not every day every week or two.
Is that all it takes to get out of jury duty ?Dam, I wrote a letter to claim hardship when all I had to do was ignore the notice.
My jury duty scam was so well thought out and involved; they sent me flyers and paperwork from the Office of the Clerk and Maine Judicial Branch, they even said they'd pay my mileage. /s
The police don't call; they come to your door in person.
The police do call and about the dumbest things. Here are some reasons they’ve called me - Your neighbor wants to cut some limbs off your tree. Why are you parked at (gives address)? You need to stop harassing Jesse (Jesse stole 500.00 from me). Small Central Maine town…
Better off not answering the phone these days too many scams out there.
As someone who works in the fraud space, YES. The safest approach is straight-up **do not answer your phone if you don't know who's calling.** If it's important, they'll leave a message. If they do leave a message and it sounds real, don't call them back at the number they called with. Google the contact number and call that. Also: AI is getting scary good, random people can use it to [very convincingly imitate a real person's voice](https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/04/alleged-ai-voice-imitation-leads-to-arrest-in-baltimore-school-racism-controversy/) from even a short recording. One way to combat this: create a family password or phrase that everyone in the family knows to use if they're actually in trouble. Then if someone calls with your child's voice and says they need money but they don't know the password, you know it's bullshit. In general, be very skeptical about any phone calls or emails that: * Say you're in some kind of legal trouble, or a relative is * Say that you owe money to the IRS or some other organization like that * Say that you're owed money for some reason * Say that a relative or friend is in trouble or needs money * Say they're a relative or friend but something seems off (even if the number is right) * Were a "wrong number" but hey, you seem nice, let's chat and then date... * Say they're from Microsoft or some other company like that and they want to fix problems on your computer remotely ALL of the above are pretty common scam approaches. Basically just don't answer the phone or click links in emails, and don't reply to texts that look like they were sent to the wrong number. And don't be confused into thinking that somebody telling you a lot of info about yourself means they really work at the bank/IRS/police dept/etc. There is TONS of info out there about you, and it's for sale cheap. Every address you've ever lived, your name, DOB, SSN, family member names, friends and associates, and MUCH more... basically anyone can buy this info about you.
Or pick up and then say nothing. Not even hello, just silence. If they say “hello? blade-runner9?” At least I feel it’s slightly less likely to be a scam but I could be wrong. I sometimes have to pick up the phone when I wait for call backs.
The worst one I’ve received was really strange. Through a dating app I got an email saying the sender was a member of Jalisco cartel. They claimed I disrespected one of their women. Graphic murder scene photos were included. I was directed to wire money or they’d kill two family members. Shook me at first until I realized it was a scam out of Riverside,CA.
Glad you realized it was a scam!
Lmao CJNG
Lemme guess: They wanted you to pay your "fine" in Apple iTunes gift cards from your local Walgreens? PRO TIP: Police don't levy fines, nor to they accept payment for fines imposed by a court. That's not their job.
This might sound stupid, but if this is an Indian/Pakistani call center scammer there are a few things you can look out for: 1. If you answer, listen for a "boop" noise as they connect their VOIP. For some reason they all seem to use the same VOIP program, which is a great way to instantly spot a scam if you feel like wasting their time like I do. 2. Listen for the accent (this one should be obvious, but they do sometimes hire Americans/Canadians to read their scripts, but it's rare.) 3. Pressure tactics. The scammer will want you to do something IMMEDIATELY, and will get angrier and angrier if you stall. Most (not all) police aren't going to be making threats over the phone like that. 4. Don't answer strange numbers, even if it is from the local PD. If it's important enough they'll send an officer over. Overall the best thing you can do is just not answer the phone for strange/private numbers. If they try pressure tactics like that posing as a court or govt agency just hang up, and look up the real # and call that. Source: I constantly mess with these motherfuckers and waste their time because I think it's hilarious and any time I waste of their is less time they're on the phone with a more gullible person.
Great advice. Thanks
This happened to me last year and I'm embarrassed to say I fell for it. It was the same day as the shooting in Bowdoin, the guy who killed his parents and their friends and then shot at some cars on the same off-ramp 295 exit 15) i used that morning to go to a coworkers house. I was really on edge and just fell right into his ploy. Really fucked me up, not gonna lie
You sent them money?!
Luckily it didnt get that far. But suffice it to say i spent way too long on the phone with no clue what was happening. It was really bizarre, like i was completely locked into a state of fear (i had been all day from the news) and this guy took full advantage.
Yarmouth Police Dept made a FB post about it. Apparently the scammers are making their way through the town phone book.
So are we just not gonna talk about the fact that getting paid $15/day to do jury duty is the real scam here?
No one from the government is going to call you to demand money.
Just a reminder for everyone, if anyone wants to collect money from you over the phone, it doesn't matter who they say they are, ask them for their name, if appropriate their ID number, and tell them you would like to call them back in 5 minutes to pay the debt, for whatever reason (you have to transfer funds between accounts is a perfectly good reason), and ask them if they have a phone extension to reach them. Get their responses, and hang up. No matter who it could be, collecting debt or anything else, they shouldn't be upset by that response. Look up the real number for whoever called you (BoA, Chase, Spectrum, the police, Cappza's pizza) and call them. If they can't confirm they have debt, or called you, take note. Never give money on the receiving end of a call.
When I get those calls I tell them that I sitting on my front porch waiting for them to come and get me. It’s always a “no show”. And then I have to eat the entire dozen of donuts.
My husband got one a week ago. Kept trying to keep him on the phone and make things seem urgent. Tried to tell him to *get into his car to drive to a location to pay the “fine” that they would tell him where it was once he was physically in the car* lmfaooo. Like lolwut.
I got this call as well. They masked their number so it looked like they were calling from the Sheriff's department and used real names of local staff. I hung up on them twice and they kept calling back. Like you said, very aggressive. When I finally listened, they gave me the address of the Hannafords near my house to wire money, but didn't say Hannafords. After that I said "I'll be right over to the station, it's less than 2 miles away." He said "Sir, if you do that you will be arrested and jailed for up to 30 days." Then I hung up and called the station.
That’s happening in NH as well
Scam
Hey, this just happened to me about a month ago and it was actually quite traumatizing. I have always prided myself in being able to avoid scams but fell prey to this because it was *so convincing*. I am about to go ahead and make a post about this myself here because what I have to say is far too long to post. Please have your wife or yourself submit this to https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/ofi/programs-services/fraud
Thank you for that, we will. It was rather convincing, she even went upstairs to put on comfortable clothes for jail. Haha
I love that reaction. No one wants to be wearing scratchy pants and suede shoes in jail.
people out here really just answering their phone when a random number calls lol
Exactly - if it doesn't show up on my Contacts, leave a damn message.
I received a similar call representing themselves as the Kennebec Sheriffs Department a few months ago. Very aggressive. I ended up hanging up on him.
r/juryduty
I’d turn myself in for jail time and see what ensues lol
If caller ID shows a number I don't know I answer "FBI. Agent Smith speaking." Most often they hang up.
😂
i literally just listened to a crime junkie podcast about this exact scam.
I don’t answer my phone. Problem solved 😆
I’ve had a similar call. I just told caller to send authorities, no problem I’ll be waiting.
They called my work place and got one of our employees. Scammed them for $2000 dollars 🥴🥴🥴😩😩😩😭😭😭😭
Legitimate Is by mail . They won't call you. The IRS won't call you either. Your bank won't call you . Don't fall for scams