Police cruiser at the scene.
Police cruiser at the scene.

Edgewater resident scammed by police impersonator posing as jury duty officer

Posted by
1 min read
November 27, 2024

EDGEWATER, Md. — Authorities in Anne Arundel County are investigating a fraud incident in which a caller impersonated a police officer and convinced a victim to send money under the pretense of missing jury duty.

According to the Southern District Police, the scam unfolded on Tuesday afternoon when the victim received a call from a person claiming to be from the Anne Arundel County Police Department. The caller told the victim she had failed to appear for jury duty and would be jailed unless she paid a fine.

When the victim grew suspicious, the caller transferred her to another individual who falsely claimed to be another department member. This individual told the victim she could resolve the matter by speaking to a judge the following day but instructed her to send money through her banking institution in the meantime.

The victim complied, sending an undisclosed amount of money to the scammers before realizing she had been deceived. Police are urging anyone with information about the incident or similar scams to contact the Southern District Detective Unit at 410-222-1965.

Authorities remind residents that no legitimate government agency, law enforcement organization, or court system will demand payment over the phone, particularly through wire transfers, electronic payments, or gift cards.

“Hang up immediately if you receive such a call,” police advised in a statement. “Contact someone you trust or your local law enforcement to verify the claim.”

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

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