Middlesex Sheriff’s Office warns of expert witness scam

 BILLERICA, Mass. – The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office (MSO) is warning residents to be aware of an active, ongoing scam potentially targeting medical professionals.

 In three separate incidents reported to the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office, individuals working in the medical field reported receiving calls telling them they had failed to appear as expert witnesses in court matters.  The scammer, or scammers, utilized a fake name and identified themselves as a member of the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office.

 In one instance, a scammer told one professional that they may have to pay $10,000 in fines and fees.  Fortunately, none of those who reported the calls to the MSO lost any money. 

 “Often times these arrest scams revolve around a failure to appear for jury duty or pay taxes, but these calls are the first reported directly to the MSO involving a failure to appear as an expert witness,” said Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian.  “For any professional whose career may be harmed – or license potentially impacted – for failure to comply with a court order, this type of call can be particularly frightening.  We want people to know this is a scam and no member of law enforcement will ever threaten arrest or demand a fine be paid over the phone like this.”

 Similar expert witness scams have previously been reported in other parts of the country.

 Anyone who may have received a similar call and either lost money or provided personal details is urged to immediately contact local law enforcement.  If the caller claimed to be a member of the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office, we also ask that you report the incident directly to the MSO’s Inner Perimeter Security (IPS) Unit at 978-667-1711.