The Maryland Judiciary has issued a warning about a new telephone scam targeting residents in Prince George’s County. The scam involves callers threatening wage garnishment for "evading service" to extort money from individuals.
In reported cases, the calls have originated from a California area code. The scammers attempt to verify the victim's identity by reciting personal information such as social security numbers, banking details, birth dates, and addresses. When questioned about how they obtained this information, the caller claims it is on a summons they intend to serve.
The Maryland Judiciary emphasizes that these calls are fraudulent. They clarify that there is no "service processing center" within their operations. Individuals receiving such calls are advised to hang up immediately and not respond to any messages with similar claims.
The Maryland Judiciary has informed the Prince George’s County Sheriff's Office about this scam. Victims or those targeted by scams can also reach out to the Office of the Attorney General through their Consumer Hotline at 410-528-8662 or toll-free at 888-743-0023, as well as contact local law enforcement.
It is important to note that courts do not contact individuals via phone or email for payments or personal information. They do not request credit card or PayPal payments through these channels either. People are reminded not to share personal, credit card, or bank information with callers or emails claiming court affiliations. For inquiries related to court cases or arrest warrants, individuals should directly contact their District Court or Circuit Court using the contact details available on the Maryland Judiciary website's courts directory.