Having been in cybersecurity for over 25 years, I’ve seen my fair share of scams and frauds. As an investigator and a defender against cybercriminals, I am no stranger to the tricks and tactics that bad actors use to exploit unsuspecting victims. But with the advent of new AI tools, these fraudsters have become more sophisticated, and now, they’re coming after you and me with alarming precision.
I recently received a call that I want to share with you—a call from “The Orange County Sheriff’s Office.” Or at least, that’s what my phone’s caller ID showed. The person on the line introduced themselves as a sheriff and asked if I remembered signing a certified letter on October 9th, promising to show up for jury duty on October 26th. According to them, I had missed the date, and a bench warrant was now out for my arrest.
The caller had an unsettling amount of personal information about me: my full name, date of birth, email address, and even my Social Security number. I knew that my information had been part of a breach in the past and had been dumped on the dark web more than once, so while I wasn’t thrilled, I wasn’t entirely surprised. But the level of detail made me uneasy.
They passed the phone over to “Sgt. Mike Patton” who immediately reminded me that I was on a recorded line and that anything I said could be used against me in court. The whole setup felt legitimate—almost too legitimate. Sgt. Patton claimed that someone had signed for a certified letter on my behalf and that I was now a no-show for a court date. He went on to say that, due to my clean record, they were willing to keep this a civil matter as long as I came down to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office to clear things up. But first, I would need to go to a bail bonds office and pay a bond. The bond, he assured me, was FDIC insured, and paying it would allow me to enter the sheriff’s office without being detained.
He gave me an address to the sheriff’s office, which I quickly Googled, and it was correct. The phone number also matched the official number for the Orange County Sheriff. Everything seemed plausible. But then things started to get strange. Sgt. Patton offered me a choice: I could come to the sheriff’s office and take a handwriting test to prove I hadn’t signed the certified letter. He provided a case number and even a special “Orange County Bail number.” The entire conversation was peppered with repeated warnings that I was being recorded and that failing to comply could land me in jail. This is where my cybersecurity senses began tingling. He told me the bond needed to be paid in cash or collateral, which felt like a classic bail bondsman scenario. But something was off. The amount he quoted didn’t match the fines typically associated with missing jury duty, and he kept emphasizing that the bond had to come from an “FDIC-approved bond company.” At this point, I started to suspect I was being set up.
Things took a darker turn when he asked for the current mileage on my car and instructed me to drive directly to the bank, then to the sheriff’s office, without breaking communication with him. He insisted I was “being monitored.” That was the final red flag. I know how hard it is to get a legal warrant to monitor someone, so I decided to push back.
I asked him to call me back directly from the sheriff’s office to verify his authenticity. He threatened me, saying I was questioning his authority and that I could face even more severe consequences for doubting his legitimacy. At that moment, I knew for sure this was a scam.
I hung up and immediately called the non-emergency number for the real Orange County Sheriff’s Office. They confirmed what I had suspected: they would never ask for money over the phone, especially for something like missing jury duty. They hear about this scam all the time.
Just minutes later, I received another call, this time from a California number. It was “Sgt. Patton” again, now angry and threatening me with “big trouble.” I informed him I had verified he was a fraud and warned him not to call me again. The line went dead.
The experience left me rattled but also made me realize just how far these scammers have come. They had all my personal information, they knew when I was home, and they managed to craft a very convincing story. With the use of AI and access to vast amounts of leaked data, the intelligence gathering for these scams has become frighteningly easy.
So, here’s my advice: if someone calls and tells you you’re in trouble, keeps you on the phone, and especially if they ask for money—it’s almost certainly a scam. The days of Nigerian princes and poorly crafted emails are behind us. Now, fraudsters are armed with perfect English, convincing stories, and all the details of your life.
Stay vigilant, Central Florida. Don’t let these scammers take you for a ride. When in doubt, hang up and call the real authorities directly. And remember, knowledge and awareness are your best defenses.
About Waylon Krush
Waylon Krush is currently the CEO of a Cybersecurity AI company Zerotrusted.ai and is a US Army Veteran. He is also an accomplished cybersecurity expert with over 27 years of experience in security strategy, design, architecture, development, exploitation, monitoring, incident response, malware analysis, forensic sampling/cyber hunt, and training for telecommunications, networks, systems, and data.