Middlesex County, MA – The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office is alerting residents to a rise in sophisticated scams involving text messages and emails designed to deceive individuals into making fraudulent payments.
One of the most common scams is the Jury Duty Arrest Scam, where fraudsters pose as law enforcement officials and falsely claim that the target has missed jury duty and must make an immediate payment to avoid arrest. The sheriff’s office emphasizes that no legitimate law enforcement agency will ever contact individuals in this manner.
Other scams include:
- IRS Impersonation Scams – Scammers pretending to be IRS agents, threatening fines or legal action.
- Road Toll Payment Scams – Fraudulent messages claiming unpaid tolls require immediate payment.
- Bank Payment Scams – Fake bank representatives demanding payments via prepaid debit cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers, all of which are red flags for fraud.
Authorities stress that no legitimate government agency or financial institution will ever demand payment through these methods or insist on immediate transactions.
Residents are urged to remain vigilant and report suspicious messages or calls to local law enforcement or the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office. If you believe you have been targeted by a scam, do not respond—verify with the appropriate agency directly.
For more information on how to protect yourself from scams, visit official government and law enforcement websites.
