Sarasota victim defrauded of $12,000 in sophisticated jury duty scam

A Georgia prison inmate and an accomplice are facing a federal indictment for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from a Sarasota victim in a jury duty scam.

U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg, the chief federal prosecutor in Florida's Middle District, said the victim paid $12,000 after being contacted by a scammer pretending to be a Sarasota County Sheriff's deputy.

The "deputy" told the victim she was named in an arrest warrant for failing to ap­ pear for jury duty, records show.

"The victim was directed to a 'Bonding Transition Center' to make payment to satisfy the warrant," Handberg said. "In reality, the 'Bonding Transition Center' was a Bitcoin ATM machine, which allows users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies."

The victim deposited more than $12,000 in three separate cryptocurrency accounts, as instructed, officials say.

Investigators say the inmate allegedly used prison phones to conduct the scam. The accomplice, who was not incarcerated, helped redirect the stolen money into several accounts, officials said. 

The inmate directed the accomplice to purchase prepaid phones and deliver them to the prison via drone, investigators allege.

Florida’s Middle District U.S. Attorney says the victim was directed to a 'Bonding Transition Center' to make payment to satisfy the warrant. In reality, the center was a Bitcoin ATM machine

Jury duty scams can be sophisticated, Handberg said.

"Scammers often provide personal information about the victim, such as their correct home addresses and date of birth and the caller ID of the scammer will often match the telephone number of a local law enforcement agency,'' he said. "Law enforcement investigation has revealed inmates in Georgia's state prisons are participating in this scheme by using illegally obtained prepaid phones and that associates outside of the prison may assist with receiving accounts.”

The indictments follow investigations by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and FBI investigators based in Florida and Georgia. 

This news story, originally written by Jim Ash and published in the Florida Bar News, is republished here with permission.