Don’t be fooled by phone scammers

If you’ve gotten a phone call from someone who says they’re from the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office saying that you have missed jury duty and must pay court costs, it’s a scam.

The Fairfax County Police Department has seen an increase in these kinds of calls. The callers, claiming to be deputies, use unregistered phone numbers and caller ID with masking/spoofing technology to make the call appear as if it’s coming from the actual Sheriff’s Office phone number. The scammers are requesting store gift cards, prepaid debit cards, or money orders for court costs and fines.

If you have received a jury duty summons, and want to confirm it, you can contact the Circuit Court jury duty clerk at 703-246-7816 (press 0).

If you think you might be the victim of a scam, you can file a report online with the Financial Crimes Section at  or call 703-691-2131.

Detectives with the Police Department’s financial crimes division also want the public to be aware of these common phone scams. In one example, callers claim they are from the IRS, a government agency, or a law firm, and you owe money. If you do not pay immediately, they threaten the police will show up at your door and arrest you.

In another example, callers claim a teenaged or young adult family member (a grandson or niece, for example) has been arrested, is in jail, and needs money, either for bond or court fees. They ask you to wire money to a non-existent attorney or bondsman or to a friend who will pay the alleged fines so the victim can be released.

In this case, the scammer could know your name, your family member’s name, nicknames, and other accurate details about you and your family, such as the college the relative attends or the state where your family lives.

Detectives urge the public to never wire money or use preloaded debit/gift cards to pay a fine. Learn more about phone scams here.