BRUNSWICK, Ga. — Brunswick Judicial Circuit district attorney Keith Higgins is warning the public of multiple justice system-related scams.
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The scams are targeting Georgia residents in several different ways.
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Missed jury duty is one example. Scammers are contacting people who claim they have missed jury duty and must pay a fine to avoid jail time.
Higgins said in another scam, a woman, whose son is serving a prison sentence, received a letter offering a 90-day program for early release from prison. The letter claims to be from the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles and is part of “Intent Supervised Parole Reinstatement Program.” The scam sought a $970 “program fee” from the woman.
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Higgins also said that the same woman received a phone call from someone claiming to represent the program how she could make a downpayment.
“Upon examination of the official looking letter, the State Board of Pardons and Parole seal was upside down, contained spelling and typographic errors, listed an aol.com address as the official email and required payment be made via various safe-pay platforms like Zelle, GreenDot and Paypal,” a statement from district attorney Higgins read.
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If you receive a phone call or a letter in the mail asking for money for a program that’s too good to be true, then it probably is.
“These types of scams prey on people’s fears of running afoul of the law or hopes for loved ones currently in the criminal justice system. Never rely on someone calling you who then asks for your credit card number or payment through a pay platform. Instead, reach out directly to the proper authorities to see if it is legitimate, whether that be the Clerk of Court, local law enforcement or the agency the person claims to represent. Don’t trust a phone number they provide you.”
— Brunswick Judicial Circuit district attorney Keith Higgins
If you have questions or want more information to avoid falling victim to scams and fraud visit Consumer Protection Division by clicking here.