Palm Beach County Clerk & Comptroller Sharon Bock is warning county residents of two scams in which people are impersonating clerk’s office employees to get personal information such as bank accounts and Social Security numbers.
Timeshare Fraud Scam — In one scam, people claiming to be Palm Beach County clerks are calling citizens around the country to inform them of money from a timeshare fraud settlement. These fraudsters tell their targets that they must first wire money to claim a portion of the settlement. The callers identify themselves with a three-digit “clerk ID” number and call from phone numbers with a 561 area code. Clerk’s office employees do not have three-digit identification numbers, and would never call to request money in order to make a claim.
Jury Duty Text Scam — The second scam involves text messages regarding jury duty. The texts come from a 704 area code and tell recipients that they missed jury duty and now must pay a $500 fine or face misdemeanor charges. While the penalty for missing jury duty is not $500, the consequences are serious. Anyone who misses jury duty is subject to a $100 fine, ordered to appear in front of a judge and held in contempt of court. However, clerk employees do not call for money or personal information.
If you receive one of these calls or texts, make sure to write down as much information as you can about the call and contact the clerk’s office as soon as possible. Anyone who sent money because of one of these scams also is urged to contact local law enforcement. For more info., visit www.mypalmbeachclerk.com or call (561) 355-2996.
