Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum is warning residents about a number of scams that have been reported in the area.
Mangum made a series of social media posts Thursday warning the public that the agency received reports of asphalt laying scams, as well as reports of callers claiming to be with Jackson County law enforcement and asking victims for money.
According to Mangum, victims of the asphalt scam reported people coming to their homes and places of business near a local paving project.The scammers claimed to be with the company completing the project and and asked if they wanted their “leftover” asphalt. Once the victims accepted the offer, the scammers put down a very thin layer of asphalt then sent in an invoice for $20,000. When the victims did not pay the balance, they were sent another invoice for $10,000.
Mangum then posted the victim of a seperate scam reported receiving a call from a member of the Jackson County Courthouse claiming a summon had been issued for their arrest for missing jury duty.
The caller then told the victim to purchase a Green Dot money card for $500 and pay them over the phone. The caller then asked for an additional $500 card, at which point the victim became suspicious.
A third report detailed a similar incident in which a victim received a call from someone claiming to be with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
The caller identified themself as Sgt. Taylor with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, and claimed the victim had been mailed a notice and missed jury duty. The caller then said a "Judge Ott" had issued a bench warrant for their arrest. The victim was able to get an attorney on the phone with them, and the caller hung up.
Magnum explained that neither of the departments call individuals for missing jury duty. The departments also do not issue summons for arrests for missing jury duty. She confirmed that there is no Sgt. Taylor employed at the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office or a Judge Ott at the Jackson County Courthouse.
Mangum reminded the public that the agency will never ask them to make payments through money cards. Additionally, she reminded residents to always hire reputable sources for services.
