Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Warns of Jury Duty Phone Scam

MURPHY, N.C. — The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office is alerting residents to a jury duty phone scam in which callers impersonate law enforcement officers and demand money to resolve alleged warrants.

According to the sheriff's office, a caller recently contacted a victim claiming they had missed jury duty and had an active warrant for their arrest. The caller, identifying himself as "Sgt. Edward Peterson" with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Department, demanded $2,000 to avoid arrest. The caller used a spoofed caller ID that appeared to be from law enforcement and knew the victim's correct address.

The suspect pressured the victim to drive immediately to the sheriff's office, the alert states.

"This is a scam," the sheriff's office emphasized in its warning. Law enforcement agencies will never ask for money over the phone.

Officials advise residents to hang up immediately if they receive such a call and to contact their local law enforcement agency directly using a verified phone number rather than any number provided by the caller. Do not send money or share personal information.

The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office can be reached at (828) 837-2589. The agency's dispatch number is (828) 835-3144.

Authorities urge anyone who believes they may have been targeted or victimized by this scam to report it to the sheriff's office. Similar jury duty scams have targeted residents across the region in recent years.