The Dukes of Scam

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A few days ago, your author was minding his own business when the phone rang. Since I have a side business where phone calls from unfamiliar numbers occasionally turn into actual customers, I answered it.

The caller launched into a fascinating story about how I had "signed for a jury summons and failed to appear." He claimed to be with my local Sheriff's Department.

Having heard of this scam before, I started asking questions.

"What's your name?" He gave me one.

"Badge number?" He gave me one.

Then I asked, "Which county Sheriff's Department is this? I forgot."

Without hesitation, he replied:

"Hazzard County."

Yes. Really.

For those who grew up watching The Dukes of Hazzard, you'll appreciate the irony. Hazzard County was a fictional county in Georgia. It doesn't exist.

(There is a town named Hazard, Kentucky, but it's located in Perry County. There is no Hazzard County there, either.)

I told the caller I would simply hang up and call my Sheriff's Department directly to ask for him.

He protested immediately, warning that warrants would be executed if I disconnected the call.

So... I disconnected the call.

Scams like this are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and many are convincing enough to catch people off guard. The best defense is to stay calm, ask questions, and pay attention to details that don't make sense.

In my case, two things immediately stood out.

First, I knew I had never received a jury summons. In fact, I would have happily served on a jury.

Second, if you're going to impersonate law enforcement, it helps if your Sheriff's Department exists.

Sometimes the smallest detail is the one that gives the whole game away.

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