If you receive a phone call demanding payment because you missed jury duty, Greg Allen, Forsyth County Clerk of Courts says to hang up. 

"My staff regularly contacts jurors concerning jury duty, but we never ask potential jurors for a financial transaction over the phone" Allen explained, adding that you should never buy any kind of prepaid or gift card and give the card number to someone on the phone as payment of any kind of fine. "Some counties are reporting amounts of $500, $3,000, and $4,000 [as payment]." 

The Forsyth County Sheriff's Office has also recently cautioned residents to be aware of scammers using the same ruse while pretending to be a deputy with an arrest warrant, advising people not to fall for the ploy. In a social media post, the sheriff's office said this, "FCSO wants to ensure citizens no one from the Sheriff's Office will call and demand money. If you receive a call like this, write down the name used, phone number and any other details and hang up. Report the incident to law enforcement."

Allen says the scammers count on catching the victim off guard, "they get you scared first...that's when they offer you a solution that will clear up the problem-just pay the fine over the phone." And that is when experts say you will know you're being scammed. No government agency will ever ask you to buy any kind of gift card and use it to pay an official fine. 

Allen says that anyone with concerns about jury duty can call the clerk's office at 770-781-2020, option 2, or by emailing jury@forsythco.com. You can also visit the "scam tracker" pageon the Better Business Bureau website to see the latest scams being reported nearby.