JACKSON COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) — The Jackson County Sheriff's Office warned local residents of a telephone scam that has been happening in the community in a Facebook post Saturday.
JCSO said that victims of the scam have received calls from a person that claims he is an attorney by the name of Dennis Mitchell.
The person then tells the victim that a family member, typically a grandson, has been involved in a traffic accident involving an open container and has been arrested in New York.
Authorities said the suspect generally has some type of personal information about the scam victims or their family member that leads them to believe that the call is real.
The scammer then tells the victim that their family member needs bond money in order to be released from custody.
The bond amount mentioned usually starts around $8,000 or $9,000, and if the victim says they don't have the money, the scammer begins to negotiate a lower amount and then are asked to FedEx cash or wire the money to him, JCSO warned.
The sheriff's office said that you receive this type of call do not send any money or provide any of your personal information to this person.
If you receive a call similar to this you can contact the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office at (850)482-9648 and make an information report documenting the fraudulent call.
