DETROIT – A seasoned educator is warning others after he finds himself caught in a web of deception.
It came as a seemingly harmless phone call that took a strange turn. On the other end of that call were two convincing scammers who were posing as legal authorities. They demanded a hefty sum for a missed jury duty.
Freddie Payne spent his life in education, but when his phone rang showing “No Caller ID,” he almost fell for a master class in scams. Two men -- who both sounded legitimate -- told him he missed jury duty and had to pay $7,000.
They were so convincing that Payne pulled his car over in order to take notes. What the scammers didn’t know is that Payne is a lifelong friend of Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington.
Related: Oakland County woman swindled out of $18K in jury duty phone scam
Legitimate law enforcement and court officials will never demand immediate payment to avoid arrest or solicit personal information -- such as social security numbers or banking details -- over the phone. In federal and state courts, delinquent jurors are contacted through mail rather than phone calls.
If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be with law enforcement, do not give them any personal information over the phone and contact the authorities to verify the validity of the call.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has released several warnings and tips about similar phone scams that can be read here. More information on avoiding and reporting scams can be found on the Federal Trade Commission website.
Consumer complaints can be filed online on the Attorney General’s website.