Clerk of Court Ryan Butler warns citizens about a new round of telephone scams hitting Treasure Coast residents.

In the scam the caller identifies themselves as either a law enforcement officer or deputy clerk of court and says there is a warrant out for the victim’s arrest for missing a court appearance. The fraudster then requests a payment to avoid being arrested.

Please do not fall victim to this scam! 

This type of scam call is one of many types of frauds where the caller threatens to arrest you if a fine is not paid. The scammer pretends to be someone who has the authority to arrest you because you missed court or failed to appear for jury duty. The caller usually demands payment in the form of prepaid credit cards, phone cards, or something similar. You will be instructed to provide the caller with the numbers on the cards. At that point, your money will be gone. These forms of payment, along with certain types of wire and bank transfers, are often untraceable.

Should you be a recipient of a suspicious telephone call or email, please remember the following:

• The Clerk’s Office and our county’s law enforcement agencies will NOT call you to discuss a failure to appear for court or jury duty, nor will a demand for payment over the phone be made in lieu of an arrest. 

• While the Clerk’s Office will make phone calls to discuss fines or fees due on court cases, the Clerk’s Office will NOT call regarding an arrest warrant for missing court.

The Clerk’s Office is reminding every resident to remain vigilant. Scrutinize every call you receive. If you do not feel comfortable with a phone call you receive from someone claiming to be from the Clerk’s Office, please make note of the department that is calling you and call the Clerk’s Office directly to verify the information. The Indian River County Courthouse's operator can be reached at 772-226-3100 and they can direct your call to the appropriate department.