Ocean Ridge Commissioner Carolyn Cassidy revealed a harrowing encounter with a sophisticated phone scammer during the town’s Sept. 8 commission meeting, detailing how a seemingly legitimate caller nearly convinced her to pay a $7,500 fine for an alleged missed federal grand jury summons.
The scammer, posing as a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office representative, claimed Cassidy had failed to appear for a grand jury duty on Aug. 3, despite her insistence that she never signed any summons.
The caller provided intricate details, including a rescheduled court date of Nov. 19 at the federal courthouse in downtown West Palm Beach.
The scam escalated when the caller presented two potential penalties: a $7,500 civic fine payable at a sheriff’s office kiosk, or a criminal penalty involving a potential three-day jail term.
Sensing something was amiss, Cassidy contacted Ocean Ridge Police Chief Scott McClure, who confirmed her suspicions. The chief emphasized that legitimate law enforcement agencies would never solicit money over the phone. The scammers “operate on fear,” McClure said.
— John Pacenti
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