THE APEX TIMES
The department said an unknown person is allegedly posing as a Nicholasville officer to pressure victims into handling money tied to jury duty.
Nicholasville Police issued a public warning Monday after receiving reports of an alleged scam in which an unknown person is impersonating a department officer in connection with a jury duty financial scheme. The department said it is not involved in any call or message that asks residents to transfer money related to jury duty.
In the alert, Nicholasville Police warned that the person contacting residents is allegedly presenting themselves as one of the department’s officers and using that claim to gain trust. Police said the scam involves instructions aimed at financial matters tied to juror-related expectations, but the department did not describe specific payment methods or the amounts sought in the warning.
The department’s statement emphasized that the alleged conduct is not authorized and urged residents to be cautious when dealing with people claiming to be police, especially when the contact includes requests for money or immediate action. Police did not say whether anyone had yet reported a completed loss, and the warning was framed as an effort to prevent residents from being targeted.
Nicholasville Police also directed residents to contact the department or local authorities to verify any suspicious claim rather than engaging with the caller. In many impersonation scams, officials note that scammers attempt to create urgency and confusion so victims will comply before checking with law enforcement, and the department’s message mirrored that concern by urging verification.
While the alert focused on the alleged impersonation and the jury duty related angle, police did not provide additional case details such as the number of reports received, the time windows when calls began, or the identity of the individuals who made the allegations. The department also did not disclose whether it had opened a criminal investigation, though issuing a scam alert typically accompanies ongoing attempts to identify and disrupt similar contacts.
The warning comes as court and jury processes remain a common theme in nationwide scam activity, including schemes that mimic official communications to pressure residents into paying money. In Nicholasville’s case, police said the alleged approach uses the authority of a local officer and ties the request to juror-related claims.
Residents who receive communications that resemble the described scam are encouraged to treat the message as unverified until confirmed through official channels. If police can match details from multiple reports, the department may be able to better identify patterns such as phone numbers, caller techniques, or repeat scripts used by the individual or group making the contacts.
Anyone who believes they were contacted as described in the warning may wish to document information such as phone numbers, dates and times, and the substance of the conversation before contacting the department, according to the department’s general emphasis on verification and caution in the alert.
