A Valley woman says she never thought she'd fall for a phone scam until it happened to her. She now wants to warn other families after winding up in the middle of one.
Beth, who asked we not use her full name, told ABC15 she got a call on Thursday from someone who claimed to be a Lieutenant with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.
"He read me my driver's license number, he called me by name and said I had missed jury duty and there were two warrants for my arrest," Beth said.
According to Beth, the person also provided 'proof' of who he was by texting her a picture ID from the sheriff's office.
Beth says the caller told her in order to clear everything up; she would have to head to a sheriff's substation in Avondale and also allow him to 'mobile monitor,' or track, her phone. He also repeatedly asked when she was leaving the house. Beth says just as she was ready to leave home; she realized this was a scam and called out the person on the phone.
"At the end, he said 'good catch,'" Beth said.
Back in March, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office warned of Jury Duty Scams. A warning also appears on the Maricopa County Court website.
What scares Beth, though, is that unlike in those warnings, the caller never asked for money.
"That's what concerns me," she said. "We don't know what he wanted...to come into an empty home or track me where he was."
Beth hopes to give a heads up to other potential victims.
"I feel afraid, and I don't like feeling afraid, so yes I'm a victim," Beth said. "The positive side is nothing happened to me, and I can tell other people so they can be safe and aware of these types of scams."
Buckeye Police confirmed Beth did file a scam report and that they have taken other reports in the past. The person hung up on a Buckeye officer who tried to call back.
ABC15 tried to call the person on Sunday. An automated message said the number is 'temporarily unavailable.'
