Several people in Bulloch County have been targeted recently by scammers who threatened them with jail time if they didn’t pay up.

Bulloch County Sheriff Noel Brown said his office has received a number of complaints from people reporting callers who claim they will be arrested for failure to appear for jury selection if they don’t send in a payment.

“There are unknown persons … posing as … deputies and advising them they have missed court duty,” he said.

The callers claim the victims will be arrested if they do not purchase a money card and provide the caller with the card number in order to get the money loaded onto the card, he said.

While the Statesboro Police Department has not received any reports of this scam, anyone could become a victim, said Statesboro police Sgt. Jake Saxon.

Bulloch County Clerk of Courts Heather McNeal said her office also has fielded calls about the scam.

“I would say we've had approximately five inquiries about it,” she said Friday. “Some folks called; some came in person.”

She said someone who “fell for it and actually paid $1,000 on these things called Green Dot cards” spoke with her Thursday.

Green Dot cards are one of many types of money cards a person can “load” with cash at various stores and use like debit cards.

“Everyone we have spoken with has suggested that the caller is stating that they missed federal jury duty,” she said. “I would encourage the public to contact my office if they receive a call such as this that sounds suspicious. We will attempt to help confirm the validity of it.”

Jim Healy, operations manager and editor of the Statesboro Herald, received such a call on Wednesday.

Healy’s wife played a message left on their home phone by a man who said to contact the federal warrants office regarding a bench warrant for Healy’s arrest.

“She was concerned, and so was I, because I had no idea where this was coming from,” he said.

Healy said he called the 912 area code number from which the call had originated, and a man who identified himself as Lt. Alex Allen with the U.S. Marshal’s Service answered.

“He told me I signed for a certified letter for federal grand jury in Statesboro on December 20,” Healy said. “I told him I never received any such letter and certainly didn’t sign anything. He said the courier with the certified letter probably went to the wrong house, and the person who signed probably wanted to see what was in the package.”

Healy said the man then told him that he would need to go to the Bulloch County Courthouse annex and submit to a handwriting analysis to prove the signature wasn’t his. However, the caller also said that federal Judge Jim Wilbanks had issued two fines that had to be cleared up before the bench warrant for Healy’s arrest could be placed on hold, after which he would be allowed to take the handwriting test. He told Healy that the money would be refunded via cashier’s check after the case was dismissed following the handwriting test.

“He told me the court would not take cash, a credit card or check and that I needed to purchase Green Dot cards to pay the fines,” Healy said. “That sent bells off, and I found the scam he was pulling online. I told him it was a scam, and he acted confused and told me he had spoken to 10 people that day and I was the only one causing any issues. He said this is the procedure federal Marshals use, and it is different than other procedures.

“He was very good, very calm. I can see how the fear and confusion he creates by the threats of the warrants and arrest can cloud your judgment,” Healy said. “It was a good scam, that, thankfully, I realized finally was a scam.”

Brown said that if warrants are issued for someone’s arrest, it is done in person, not by telephone.

“Be advised this is a scam, and please report all cases to the appropriate law enforcement agency,” he said, reminding residents to never give financial or personal information to anyone whose identity they are unsure of.

McNeal said anyone with questions about whether they have missed jury duty may call her office at (912) 764-9009.

Herald reporter Holli Deal Saxon may be reached at (912) 489-9414.