St. Petersburg, Fla. (970 WFLA)- If you get a phone call from a "Deputy Harris with the sheriff's office", hang up! Deputy Harris is a scammer! He's calling, to convince you to hand over your money!
The caller explains, that you have failed to show up in court or you missed jury duty, and tells victims to call another number immediately! When victims call, a person answers, "sheriff's office" and instructs you to buy a pre-paid debit card, then orders you to meet them at the justice center in Clearwater to pay the fine. If not, a deputy will be sent to your home and arrest you.
If you get one of these calls or have been a victim, call the real Pinellas County Sheriffs Office at (727) 582-6200. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office will not call citizens requesting money over the telephone.
Citizens should not give personal information, agree to meet someone or give account information over the telephone unless they are initiating the phone call and confident they are speaking with a trusted source.