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St. Johns County deputies warn of scam after victim paid $5,000 to alleged defense attorney

Scam Alert WPLG

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office is warning the community of a scam after a resident fell victim and gave thousands of dollars to a person alleging to be a defense attorney.

According to deputies, the victim reported the incident on Monday when she said she was contacted by a stranger stating her daughter was in jail and needed $5,000 to bond out.

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The caller told the victim she would have a defense attorney named Matt Arnold meet her to get the money, so the woman retrieved the money from the bank and met the “defense attorney” at her house to give him the money, deputies said.

Arnold is described as a white man, in his 50s, with facial hair. He was wearing a T-shirt and Bermuda shorts, according to deputies.

The victim received the original call from 954-889-5513 and another call from Arnold at 305-600-4486.

The victim also said Arnold was driving a gray Ford sedan.

If you have any additional information related to this scam, please contact the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office Intelligence Unit at sointelligence@siso.org or call 904-209-2188.


About the Author
Marcela Camargo headshot

Marcela joined News4JAX in 2023. She grew up in Mexico and eventually moved to California to pursue her dream of becoming a journalist. Now, she is a proud San Diego State University alumna who has many years of experience in TV and digital journalism.

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