Scammers are calling, texting, and emailing Brantley County residents while pretending to be federal marshals — and sending fake court documents to make the threat look real, the Brantley County Sheriff’s Office warned Thursday.
What’s happening: The scammers tell people they have an arrest warrant, missed jury duty, failed to appear in court, or owe money that must be paid to avoid being arrested. To back up the claim, they send documents that look like official federal court paperwork. One example shared by the sheriff’s office shows a fake U.S. District Court arrest warrant demanding 10% of $30,000 — or $3,000 — described as a “Court-Ordered Security Public Safety Assessment.”
What’s new: The sheriff’s office says it has become aware of the scam and is alerting the public. No arrests have been announced in connection with the scheme.
What this looks like: The fake documents are designed to appear legitimate. The example shared by the sheriff’s office includes a case number, two counts — failure to appear and contempt of court — and signatures from people listed as law enforcement officers. The U.S. Marshals Service does not call people to demand payment over the phone to avoid arrest.
What this means for you: If you get one of these calls, texts, or emails, hang up or do not respond. Do not send money in any form — including gift cards, payment apps, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers. Do not give out personal or financial information. If you have already sent money or shared personal information, contact your bank or financial institution right away and report it to the Brantley County Sheriff’s Office.
The path forward: Anyone who receives one of these contacts is asked to report it to the Brantley County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office has not said how many people have been targeted or whether any money has been lost.
Georgia leads the nation in falling for these scams, which means we’re either too trusting or just really, really bad at spotting typos. If you get an email or phone call demanding you pay off your jury duty debt with App Store gift cards—you might be getting scammed.
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B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
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