WILSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) – This scam has been around for quite some time: callers claiming you never showed up for jury duty.

However, scammers in Wilson County have gotten creative, using real names from the sheriff’s office and even spoofing the non-emergency number 615-444-1412. This week, the Wilson County Sheriff is sending a clear message to the public that these calls are not real.

A Mt. Juliet couple received a voicemail a year ago that read, “Good morning. This is Deputy Calvin Warner of the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office,” after a scammer spoofed a number to look like the Sheriff’s Office’s non-emergency number.

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“When I called them here at the house, they told me I couldn’t hang up and that I had to stay in constant contact with them or they would send a car to find me,” said Bill Berry.

The caller said they needed $3,500 in gift cards or Berry’s wife would go to jail. Berry sent the money and said he was willing to do whatever it took to make sure his wife was not in danger.

“Listen, we’ve been trying to encourage this and stop it. I know law enforcement is trying to stop it. They’re putting my name on it, they’re putting the names of other people who work for the sheriff’s office,” said Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan.

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The sheriff’s office has warned about the scam on social media several times. One such post from earlier this week explained how scammers are spoofing the non-emergency number, listing the names and ranks of legitimate sheriff’s office employees, threatening arrest if they don’t pay their legal fees or report for jury duty, and directing people to buy gift cards, listing their mileage and sharing serial numbers to obtain the card funds.

However, according to Bryan, people still fall victim to this scam.

“I just ask the people listening here on TV to understand that we are not calling people on the phone. If we need you, we will come get you,” Bryan said.

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Unfortunately, he said, these scammers still target older people: “You have to understand the older generation. If someone calls and says they owe money, they will pay it.”

Berry told News 2 on Thursday, August 22, that he has not received a single one of these calls since he was scammed last year, but has never gotten his money back.

“Please tell us the sheriff told us to hang up on these people,” Bryan said.

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