CAPE CORAL, Fla. — A Cape Coral woman is warning others after nearly falling victim to a phone scam in which a caller claimed she had missed jury duty and needed to report to law enforcement immediately.
Thelma Sikes said she received the call earlier this week from someone posing as a government official. The caller insisted she could not hang up, could not inform anyone else, and needed to come to their office right away.
“He told me, ‘You cannot hang up this call, you cannot tell anyone, and you need to come to my office immediately,’” Sikes said.
At first, she believed the call was legitimate. The scammer knew her full name, birthday, and address.
“It was very, very convincing,” she said.
However, Sikes had never received any mail about jury duty. Suspicious, she contacted the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, which confirmed the call was a scam.
This type of fraud is part of a growing trend targeting older adults, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Scammers often pressure victims into believing they owe money or have legal trouble, urging them to act quickly. In Sarasota County, officials report that victims there have recently lost more than $150,000 to the scheme.
“They talk with confidence and fast, and they are very convincing,” an official said during a January press conference in Sarasota. “Your best defense against these fraud schemes is to resist the pressure to act quickly," he added.
Fortunately, Sikes did not share any personal information. She hopes her experience will serve as a warning to others, especially seniors.
“I think it can happen to anyone,” she said. “And a lot of seniors are on medication, and that’s when they fall for it," she added.
Local and federal law enforcement officials have emphasized they never contact individuals to collect debt or demand immediate payment over the phone.
