San Mateo County sheriff's officials are warning residents to beware of a recent phone scam involving a caller fraudulently posing as a law enforcement official in order to demand payment from residents for failing to appear for jury duty.
The caller instructs the victim to pay fees by purchasing a "Green Dot" prepaid debit card. The victim is threatened with arrest if they do not make the purchase, sheriff's officials said.
Sheriff's deputies do not contact members of the public to demand payment of fees or fines and do not threaten people with arrest over the phone.
Sheriff's officials are reminding residents to be aware of these types of scams. Residents should never provide personal information over the phone, such as Social Security numbers or credit card information, unless they initiated the call.
Anyone who may have been a victim of the scam is advised to contact authorities, sheriff's officials said.
