A man already serving time in a Georgia prison is accused of using a contraband cellphone to help scam an elderly Florida resident out of $5,600.
Patrick Marquelle Turner, 31, was incarcerated at Wheeler Correctional Facility when investigators say he contacted the Marion County victim using caller ID that displayed the name of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
The victim was told he had missed jury duty and needed to pay a fine or face arrest. Deputies say the pressure worked, and the man deposited $5,600 into a cryptocurrency ATM.
Investigators followed the money through multiple accounts and connected eight transactions to Turner, according to WCJB. Turner was extradited from Georgia to Florida on Aug. 24 to face charges.
The Call Looked Like It Came From the Sheriff’s Office
Detectives say Turner used a contraband cellphone while incarcerated at Wheeler Correctional Facility and contacted the victim with caller ID displaying “Marion County Sheriff’s Office.” Caller ID, however, can be spoofed so that a phone displays an agency’s real name or number even when the call did not originate there.
The caller demanded money to resolve the supposed jury duty problem and avoid arrest. Investigators say the victim was coerced into depositing $5,600 into a cryptocurrency ATM.
Detectives subsequently traced the payment as it moved through multiple accounts and identified eight transactions they say were connected to Turner.
Turner Was Extradited From Georgia to Florida
Marion County authorities obtained an arrest warrant while Turner remained in the custody of the Georgia Department of Corrections. He was extradited to Marion County on Aug. 24 and booked into the Marion County Jail.
Turner faces charges of grand theft, defrauding a person older than 65, money laundering, using a communication device in the commission of a felony and impersonating an officer. The Florida charges remain accusations and have not resulted in a conviction.
Courts Do Not Demand Jury Duty Fines Through Cryptocurrency
The Marion County Clerk of Court and Comptroller warned on Aug. 10 that its office does not call people demanding payment for missing jury duty or a court event. Anyone who receives a suspicious call can independently contact the clerk to verify whether there is a genuine issue.
The Federal Trade Commission also warns that scammers can manipulate caller ID to make a call appear to come from local police or another government agency. Real law enforcement officers will not demand cryptocurrency to prevent an arrest over supposedly missed jury duty.
Anyone receiving such a threat should hang up rather than following payment instructions. Contact the court or law enforcement agency through a number obtained independently, not one supplied by the caller.
If cryptocurrency has already been sent, preserve the ATM receipt, wallet address, QR code, transaction ID, phone number and messages and report the incident to law enforcement and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. Those transaction details can help investigators follow cryptocurrency as it moves between wallets and accounts.