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Jury Duty Scam Alert: How a Woman Lost $2,000!
Sep 17, 2025
A Pasco County woman was scammed out of thousands after receiving a call claiming she missed jury duty. The Sheriff's Office warns residents to be aware of this emerging scam and never send money over the phone. #juryduty #scam #pasco #crime #fraud
View Video Transcript
0:00
Here at 11, the Pasco County Sheriff's
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Office is sounding the alarm on an
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emerging jury duty scam. Crooks are
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spoofing law enforcement numbers to
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threaten victims. They could be arrested
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if they don't pay up for missing jury
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duty. One woman says the scam sent her
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on a multi-our adrenalinefilled quest
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that left her with trauma and out of
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money. Fox 13's Jennifer Veas joins us
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live in the newsroom. And Jennifer, you
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spoke with her. How did she fall for it?
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Well, Ally Jana C or Haley Jana Cash is
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in her 50s and works in IT and she says
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she never thought of herself as the type
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of person that could fall for a scam.
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That was until Friday when she was
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presented with a threat that sent her
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into a panic. Now she wants to share her
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story to protect others from something
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like this in the future. What started as
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a typical Friday afternoon working from
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home for Lando Lakes resident Jana Cash
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turned into what felt like a hostage
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situation with an invisible aggressor.
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I pulled on the side of the road. I just
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broke down and started to cry.
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An ordeal leaving her whole family
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traumatized.
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My son was scared to death. He tried to
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call me. He couldn't get a hold of me.
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Cash says around 10:00 a.m. Friday, she
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got a call from a 727 number. I had
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gentleman speaking to me uh presenting
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himself calling from the courthouse from
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West Pasco County from uh from the
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sheriff's office telling me that there
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is a warrant arrest on my person because
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I forgot to come to jury duty.
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The number texting her what appeared to
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be court documents verifying that. Then
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a list of her rights.
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They had my email address. They had my
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social security number. They had my
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driver's license number. My full
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address. The person said the only way to
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avoid arrest is sending $9,000.
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They made me um get in my car. They knew
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the vehicle I was driving and they said
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I have to go to my final finance
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institution, withdraw the cash, place
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the bond,
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telling her she had to stay on the phone
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the whole time and couldn't tell anyone
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what was going on. She only had $1,000
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available and told them she had to loop
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her husband into the call.
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I said, "You need to send me more money.
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I am in trouble and you need to send me
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money now. He started to ask questions.
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What is it for? I says, I can't tell
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you.
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He sent $1,500.
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The scammer ordered her to send the
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money through coin flip machine using
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this QR code. After three hours of
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agony, speaking to three fake deputies,
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she sent a total of $2,000 and they let
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her go. after I called 911.
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There have been seven victims on that
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day in Pasco County with the same issue
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for much more money than I paid.
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And certainly a scary situation there.
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Now, her hope is to protect others
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through her story. The Pasco County
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Sheriff's Office says courts and law
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enforcement will never ask you for
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payment over the phone or wire transfer,
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and you will never face an immediate
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arrest for missing jury duty. So, if you
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receive a call like this, hang up
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immediately. Contact your local courts
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to verify your jury status and notify
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law enforcement.
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