Scam plea-bargain notice targets defendants and lawyers
Scammers in the Atlanta area are posing as prosecutors to target defendants and lawyers, according to a warning by the Cobb County, Georgia, district attorney’s office. (Image from Shutterstock)
Scammers in the Atlanta area are posing as prosecutors to target defendants and lawyers, according to a warning by the Cobb County, Georgia, district attorney’s office.
The scammers are asking for payment of court costs and fines to close a case or expunge a record, report WSB-TV (here and here) and 11Alive.com.
WSB-TV obtained a scam notice sent to a woman with a pending misdemeanor case. The letter said Cobb County District Attorney Flynn Broady and a judge “have come to an agreement for a NOLO plea bargain” on a shoplifting charge.
The fake notice said the state has agreed to dismiss the charge after the defendant pays court costs and fines.
After the payment is made, the scam notice said, the defendant will have the opportunity to get the charges expunged.
“There will be no jail time to serve, no probationary period, and no community service hours to complete,” the notice said.
Broady’s warning said his office doesn’t solicit payments by email and won’t ask for a payment to close a case.
