Couple warns of phony cop calls

CAPE CORAL, Fla. – A Cape Coral couple wants to warn others after they almost fell victim to a possible scam involving someone claiming to be from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

“He said ‘well you didn’t appear in jury duty, I’m going to give you a felony,'” Jill Mazziotti said.

Worried she may be in trouble, she got her husband, Gus.

“I said, ‘well what’s your name?’ And he said, “Lieutenant Robert Moon,” and he said, ‘badge number 48,'” Gus explained.

The so-called deputy said the couple failed to appear for jury duty on August 24 and because of that, they were facing two felony charges and a hefty fine of $5,500. That’s when Gus just couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Are you– is this a scam? Are you on the phone here talking to me and you’re not who you are?” Gus said to the caller.

The man on the other end of the line said they were dispatching an officer to arrest Gus and asked if he had any pets.

“‘We have to find a place for the dog,’ and I said, ‘what do you mean? My wife is here, she can watch the dog.’ He said, ‘No, your wife is being arrested too,'” Gus said.

Gus then said he was calling the local police to make sure the caller was legitimate. The alleged scammer hung up.

“This scammer really, really scared me,” Jill said.

“I want to share this with the community too, you know, because he’s probably doing this to many people,” Gus said.

It’s important to remember that no legitimate law enforcement agency will contact you by phone to notify you about missing jury duty, a warrant for your arrest, or any other issue. They will also never require any type of payment over the phone. If you get a call that seems suspicious, hang up and call your local police and ask if the call is legitimate.